Fate of Kings

Omniscient POV

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3 months after the Fall of Beacon

Sitting on top of a gargantuan hunk of rock riding the afternoon clouds of Solitas, the city of Atlas, a marvel and wonder in itself, shadowed over its sister city directly below, Mantle.

In the center of Atlas, perched on the peak of the mightiest mountain, was Atlas Academy, a shining steel fortress overlooking the entire city. However, with the students currently out on break, the academy halls were empty, save for the handfuls of soldiers patrolling campus ground.

James Ironwood typed away in his office at the top of Atlas Academy.

A crowd of empty coffee cups covered the corner of his desk alongside the tower of papers. His hair never saw a comb nor did that jawline meet a razor in a long while, and his uniform was fashioned by wrinkles like the dark lines under his eyes.

An alert popped up on the holographic screen.

Ironwood opened the newly delivered message, humming as he read the contents, and the corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly.

Right after he finished reading, he made a call.

Several minutes later, in the Atlas Command Center, a nurse pushed a cart through the medical ward and entered a patient's dull room, setting a warm bowl of soup and a cold glass of water on the overbed table before leaving.

Garbed in a white shirt and trousers while bandages covered his right eye, Stiofan stared at the food in front of him and remained still in bed.

Both his arms and neck were bone thin. His cheeks had a slight dip in them, his lips resembled old paint, cracked and flaking, and grown unkempt hair stuck to the sweat on his brow and the nape of his neck.

Minutes passed, and the soup and water remained untouched.

Beep!

The door slid open, and James Ironwood entered the room.

"Stiofan," he said and smiled a little, "I'm glad you're awake."

Stiofan glanced over, expressionless.

"Yes," his voice scratched against his throat, "it appears I am."

"How's the soup?" he said. "I hear it's quite delicious."

"Apologies." He sighed at the bowl. "I haven't had an appetite of late."

Ironwood's smile fell.

"What brings you here today, General?" Stiofan said.

"I actually came bearing good news for once." He motioned to the chair beside the bed and received approval to sit. "As you very well know, these last three months have been. . . rough following your surgery."

Stiofan hummed.

"You'll have to forgive me for keeping you detained for so long." The hard edge in Ironwood's gaze dropped its guard. "You're still being held accountable for your actions at Beacon. That means no visitors. Not even a phone call. I understand if it's been hard to say the least."

A scoff blew out of Stiofan.

"That's why I'm here to tell you one thing." Ironwood's smile returned. "Congratulations, Stiofan. You're free to go."

Stiofan went stiff, and his breath caught. "I've been discharged?"

"The doctors say your wounds are healing well enough that you no longer have to stay in such a dreary place anymore." He chuckled and folded his arms together. "And don't worry about the scuffle you had with my men. I've already dealt with the matter."

"This is a lot to take in." Stiofan squeezed his sheets. "Why?"

"Because I believe you've already gone through enough." Ironwood frowned. "Of course, my decision to let you walk isn't very popular. You have no idea how much of my weight I had to throw around in order to get that done."

His breath quivered. "I-I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say a word. Just go home and rest. You at least deserve that much." He grabbed a wheelchair sitting in the corner of the room and brought it over. "Whenever you're ready."

-----

Out in the remote tundras of Solitas, an Atlesian dropship sailed inbound towards an elegant, two story tall log cabin seated at the edge of a cliff.

It touched down next to the spacious, cobblestone front yard, lined off by a picket white fence and lampposts.

The cabin door opened.

A woman in uniform and a white coat emblazoned with the SDC First Guard crest stood at the threshold.

The visor of her peaked cap casted a shadow over her eyes, leaving the lower half of her face to shine like sweet caramel, and a ponytail of purple flowed off her back as she walked the yard.

The dropship hatch opened to reveal Ironwood, wheeling Stiofan along the path, and soldiers followed in tow, carrying some bags, a walker, and Red Fury and Yellow Fury.

"Ah, Captain Viola MacCool." He offered his hand once he reached the cabin. "I'm happy to see you're doing well."

"Likewise, General." Viola returned the shake. "There is no amount of gratitude I can offer that equals to everything you've done."

"There's no need." Ironwood passed off Stiofan. "All the supplies and medications Stiofan requires are in these bags. I made sure of it. Just follow the notes and instructions and he'll be up and running again in no time."

The soldiers set everything inside the doorway and returned to the dropship.

"And as much as I'd like to stay and chat, I must apologize. There are other matters that require my utmost attention." Ironwood crossed his arms behind him. "Captain. Stiofan. Take care."

As soon as he left, Viola shut the door and removed her peaked cap, setting it on the table to reveal her deep red eyes.

"Home sweet home, Stio." She pushed his wheelchair towards the arrangement of couches by the crackling fireplace. "Same as you last saw it."

Stiofan watched the firewood burn.

"How about a drink?" She gestured to the kitchen. "I already prepared the tea."

Viola filled a couple mugs and placed them on the coffee table.

"Honey and a splash of lemon, right?" She cracked a smug smirk. "But first, let's get you out of that wheelchair and on the couch. I'm sure it's much more comfortable."

"Captain."

She paused.

"I. . ." He squeaked and struggled to speak. "Forgive me."

"For what? You've done nothing wrong." Her eyes drooped. "Besides, you don't work for me anymore, so forget the formalities."

His jaw clenched, lips pressed a thin line.

"What about the SDC?" Stiofan lowered his head. "Is everyone well?"

"Lady Weiss is doing just fine." Viola's expression softened as she kneeled and cupped his hand between her own. "I'm sorry to say this, but you're prohibited from entering the Schnee compound or making any contact with Lady Weiss."

The cushion of the arm rest squeaked under his grip, and beneath the thin gaps of hair curtaining over his brow, his face twitched ever so slightly.

Viola froze and raised her head, similar to an animal picking up on something strange.

"Loiterers." She gave him a mug and wheeled him to the front door. "Let's go send them off, shall we?"

Far off past the yard and in the snowy plains, paws belonging to dozens of Ice Sabyrs crunched towards the cabin, Grimm resembling that of a predatory saber-toothed cat with chunks of ice stuck to their bodies.

They snarled and fixed their burning lava eyes on the two residents of the cabin.

Viola settled Stiofan by the fence before sauntering out the gate and fitting her hat back on.

From within the darkened depths of her shadow, a wooden spear expelled up in the air, and with a big step, she cocked her leg and punted the spear across the plains.

The spear sailed like a missile and skewered an Ice Sabyr.

Its fellow brethren jumped, sparing the slain a glance before roaring and charging at breakneck speeds.

More spears ejected from Viola's shadow, and in rapid succession, she punted each spear further out in the plains, raining like arrows on the Ice Sabyrs until half the pack remained.

Another spear exited from her shadow.

However, unlike the others ones, this spear was all metal, tinged in a striking violet hue with scarlet accents winding along the shaft.

Eyes half-lidded, Viola grasped the spear and spun it around herself with the same amount of effort it took to flip a pencil.

Stiofan blew and sipped his tea.

As the spear blurred around her, she fired a bullet, striking an Ice Sabyr dead, and more bullets spilled out at the pace of a machine gun.

The Ice Sabyrs didn't relent and pressed on, and the unlucky few that managed to get close were sliced apart by the spear whirling faster than helicopter blades like a shield around her.

Viola stepped forward and lobbed her spear, buzzsawing it through what was left of the pack. Like a boomerang, the spear returned to her just in time for her to stick it into the final Ice Saybr and pin it to the ground.

"I was thinking we should have soup for dinner," said Viola. She jerked out the spear and flicked it clean. "And perhaps after that, we can begin your rehabilitation."

Stiofan's head perked. "So soon?"

"The sooner the better." She dropped the spear in her shadow and leaned on the fence. "It'll take some time, of course, but with my regimen, you'll definitely be up and running again in no time."

A faint smile found its way to him as he hid behind his mug. "I'd like that."

"Good." She entered the yard and wheeled him back into the cabin. "Then let's get started."