Chapter Text
Technoblade leaned casually against the balcony, contemplating the view before him. It was going to be a beautiful day. Rays of sunlight gilded the frozen glaciers of the eastern mountains and shone on the endless expanse of snow. Thick, white storm clouds edged the horizon, silhouetted against a clear sky. The scene was perfected by the two-hundred strong army, rapidly approaching the castle’s southern flank.
A familiar smile rose to his lips. Finally. “Chess might have to wait, Phil.” he drawled, glancing over his shoulder at the room behind him.
“Mynes actually pulled an army together?” Philza looked up from the table with an air of mild surprise.
“Just a couple of hundred knights.” He frowned at the columns of soldiers for a moment, and let out a harsh laugh. “He thinks it’s going to be easy.”.
Phil pushed back his chair and sauntered to Techno’s side. “He actually came to fight?”
“See for yourself. He’s right at the back- on the white horse. Godsdamned coward won’t even lead his own soldiers.” Techno rolled his eyes as he spoke. “Can you see who’s with him?”.
“Five knights- they'll be his personal guard. Looks like his general to the right. And... gods, he really does think it’ll be easy. See the three standing to his left? He even brought his sons.” Phil chuckled incredulously. “Fool.”
“Only two hundred and ten soldiers”. There was a note of disappointment in Techno’s voice.
“Early days.” Phil responded cheerfully. “More people will follow, once they understand our strength. Honestly, I’m amazed Mynes was able to persuade even this many people to fight- we haven’t done anything to them.”
“Yet.” Techno’s grin was deadly. He was only half listening to Phil now, his mind running through battle plans, identifying the weakest areas of the army, searching for the best positions for their own warriors. They had twenty-eight fighters on their side, some of them Techno’s old allies from already forgotten battles, some people whom Phil had deemed “friends”. All mortal, of course, but tougher, more battle-hungry than most.
“I’d say we have twenty minutes to prepare. Half an hour, tops.” Phil studied the army thoughtfully.
“Better get moving then.” Techno whipped around abruptly and strode indoors, not fast enough for Phil to miss the gleam of bloodthirsty joy in the depths of his scarlet eyes
King Mynes stared up at the castle. It was a strange building, built on the ruins of a much older fortress, a mix of dark stone and jagged, crystal clear sheets of ice. He was right in his decision to put a stop to this empire now. If it had been allowed to grow, gods knew what might have happened. No, strike fast and hard, when the enemy isn’t expecting it.
The frontlines of their army were within arrow-range of the castle when they halted. Squinting up at the castle balcony, Mynes could see why; two people had emerged from the room within.
Pulling his spyglass out from an inner pocket, he raised it to his eye. The men on the balcony- rulers of this little empire, surely- looked as odd as their castle. They were dressed in dark armour, though one had some kind of black cloak slung over it. The other wore his hair in a pink braid that snaked over his shoulder. His eyes, Mynes realised with a slight shiver, were blood-red.
The black-cloaked man stepped forward. “I realise,” he said, his voice echoing over the army before him, “that what I am about to say will make no difference to you. That your king is intent on destroying us.” Here, he looked carefully at the people before him, his eyes raking the lines of soldiers and coming to rest directly- impossibly, from that distance- on Mynes’ face. “Yet I feel obliged to give you this warning. If you choose to fight us, we will retaliate without mercy. We will not take prisoners.”
Some of the knights in the ranks were stirring uneasily. Who was this man, with his utter calm and icy confidence?
Mynes forced a loud laugh. “Brave words, for a man whose kingdom is on the brink of destruction.” His words, though shouted with all the challenge he could muster, sounded weak against the cold warning of the man in the black cloak.
Up on the balcony, the red-eyed warrior- scarcely more than a teenager, now that Mynes looked properly- leaped up onto the iron railing. He stood there, back straight and perfectly balanced, staring down at the army with an unnerving grin. “Then what are we waiting for?” he drawled. “You’ve had your warning. Please, let the destruction commence.”
His words jolted Mynes- what kind of leader asked for enemy forces to attack? - but did his best to hide it. He looked sideways at his general, and gave her a curt nod. Her eyes hardened as she raised her arm. “Archers! On my command. The men on the balcony.”
Mynes had expected the men to run, get behind the doors or at least duck below the railing as soon as they heard the general’s shout. But they just stood there, near-motionless, as fifty arrows were nocked, bowstrings pulled taut. Not missing a chance to end the battle before it had even begun, the general’s arm fell swiftly.
As the wave of death arced toward them, they finally moved. Phil’s great obsidian wings spread from behind him and swept over his head- a perfect shield. Techno spared him one appreciative glance before he sprang lightly off the railing, and fell towards the snow beneath. For a moment, he was weightless, suspended between earth and sky, and then he hit the ground with enough force to break a mortal’s legs. He barely felt the impact, focusing instead on the shocked, awed expressions of the enemy soldiers. There was a crash behind him as the huge double doors of the castle flew open, and their warriors marched out. They fanned out around him, each one armed to the teeth and ready for battle. Above, arrows clattered off Phil’s wings and tumbled harmlessly to the floor. Once the volley had ceased, he stood and stretched his wings out, preparing for flight.
For the space of a heartbeat, no-one moved.
And then Phil took off from the balcony, and they charged.
Techno’s sword clashed against the spear of the first knight he reached. A quick snap of his wrist, and the spearhead plummeted into the snow- a second, almost lazy sweep of his arm and the soldier’s head followed it. A streak of red spattered across the white snow. He ignored the triumphant chorus of his voices at the sight, moving on to the next victim, and the next, and the next, leaving a trail of bloody carnage in his wake. His sword bit through bone, slashed open skin. He was unstoppable. Ten soldiers were dead, fifteen, thirty- he had lost count, and still they kept coming. Everything else had fallen away, nothing else mattered. He was the blood god, and this was his element. He was only vaguely aware of Phil in the skies above him, raining black-fletched arrows, and the warriors behind him, all fighting their hardest to hold the line.
Terror was spreading through the knights now. They had been confident, aware that they vastly outnumbered the army of the ice kingdom and sure that it would fall quickly. They hadn’t reckoned with this scarlet-eyed fighter, leaving their best soldiers dead without breaking his stride, or the winged archer sending dark streaks of death through their ranks. The battle was fast becoming a massacre.
Techno carved his way through the army. He was aiming for his target, still sitting astride his white horse and frozen with shock. The king himself would be no challenge, but with any luck the knights guarding him would put up a good fight. These soldiers falling around him were weak- too easy to kill. The voices were screaming for a confrontation, blood spilled on both sides. He was going to give it to them.
The enemy knights weren’t even trying to fight anymore. They scattered like sheep before a wolf as he approached, eyes blazing and armour dripping red. Techno strode towards the king, enjoying the sight of Mynes’ fear. He could hear the king shouting to his guards, “Hold him- hold him back! Give us a chance t-to regroup!” Valiantly, the soldiers around him raised their shields. The general stepped forward, her face grim, and unsheathed her broadsword. Behind them, Mynes yanked at the reins of his horse, pulling it around, ready to escape the battlefield. His sons could only stand there, swords out but shaking in untrained hands, unable to fight or flee.
Before the king could kick at the stallion’s sides, a black-fletched arrow flew past him. It whipped past the horse’s head, close enough to ruffle its sleek mane. The animal was already skittish, frightened by the sounds of battle, and this was too much for it. It reared in alarm, flinging its rider from the saddle, and ran for its life. The thunder of pounding hooves faded quickly into the distance. Dazed, bruised and winded, Mynes lay groaning in the snow. His sons gathered quickly around him- either seeking protection or trying to provide it. Techno neither knew nor cared.
The general had not looked behind her at the crash of the king colliding with the ground. Her attention was focused solely on the blood-soaked warrior advancing towards the guards. Before he had the chance to get near, she lunged, hoping to take him by surprise. But the man moved impossible fast. He whirled and ducked under her scything blade in a blur of motion.
The other soldiers had followed her movement and were circling around the red-eyed warrior. She had trained them for years, and she had trained them well. Even as the warrior rose, he was imprisoned in a ring of shields and spears. For the space of a heartbeat, the general’s gaze met his- steely grey into flaming scarlet. In the depths of both was an identical look of triumph.
The guards leaped forward in unison, their blades plunging toward their foe. Yet before they could touch his skin, he jumped - flying six, seven feet into the air. The spears clattered uselessly together below him as he twisted, graceful and deadly as a python, cleaving his blade straight through the metal of a soldier’s helmet. He tugged the sword free as the knight’s body crumpled, and stabbed it straight through the heart of the next guard to attack him.
Enough. The general sprinted forward, looping around the warrior and focusing his attention on her. His blade fell and she caught it on her own, deflecting it to the side. Not missing a moment, she lashed her broadsword toward his throat. He parried, but now he was on the defensive, and she pressed forward, not allowing him even a second to recover. The remaining knights had regrouped, and were moments away from unleashing a renewed attack. The general felt a spark of hope. They were going to avenge their fellow soldiers.
And then three arrows streaked from the sky- swish, swish, swish - and each found their mark- a throat, a temple, an eye. Soundlessly her knights fell, and the general was alone. A wave of grief and fury swept through her. Strength rushed into her arms, and when the warrior’s sword rang with hers, she didn’t knock it aside, but held it in check. Inch by inch, she forced it back, straight towards the man’s face. His merciless eyes widened and he tried to fall back- to twist out of the way. She caught the movement, adjusted her position and slammed her broadsword down. The power of the blow flung the man’s blade back, too fast for him to escape. It slashed open the space between his eyes and opened a gash across his nose.
If Technoblade had wanted a fight, he certainly had one now. The general was an incredible fighter. If he had been mortal, they would have stood on equal ground. Yet she still managed to match his divine strength- enough to use his own blade to draw his blood. But that was it. The voices were quietening, sated and appeased. The battle was coming to an end. All that was left was to destroy the general and then execute the king. He whipped the pommel of his sword down onto her outstretched arm, shattering the bone. She grunted in pain, but managed to seize her broadsword in her other hand and raise it to defend herself. Blinking blood from his eyes, he swept his blade down towards hers, using every bit of his power. Her wrist twisted back and her broadsword crashed to the ground.
She stood straight, unarmed and defenseless, and glared right into his eyes. “Come on then,” she snarled, “finish it.”
High above, Phil sent his last arrow flying towards the ragged remains of the army. He looked down towards Technoblade, in time to see him pull his sword from the general’s chest and stride towards the king. Mynes was now back on his feet, standing amidst his sons. Phil folded back his wings and dropped towards them. He watched the king draw his sword. Ah, he did admire the stubborn courage of mortals. Even the weakest cowards could prove themselves when their loved ones were in danger. He spread his wings again and glided silently above the little group. Mynes was muttering hastily to his sons, no doubt telling them to run, to hide, while he held off the scarlet-eyed soldier approaching them. As Technoblade neared, Phil touched down to the ground just behind him, his gaze still fixed on the king.
To his utter shock, Mynes did not step forward or push his sons back out of the way. He turned and fled, leaving the young men to cover his retreat.
A haze of fury descended over Phil. He was not even sure why he was angered so much by the king’s actions. He had seen plenty of warriors break in battle, abandon friends and leave them to the wolves. But this- this was different.
Without thought, his wings opened, and he launched himself forward, flying just high enough to avoid the rapiers of the princes. In seconds, he swooped over Mynes and flung him to the ground. He barely registered the scream, the pathetic sobs. He didn’t even unsheathe his own sword. He simply seized the king with his bare hands, and ripped.
A minute later, he walked back to Technoblade’s side. His head had cleared enough to hear the shouts of the king’s sons. He saw two of them restraining the third, who was fighting to reach him, waving his rapier wildly.
Techno was watching, seeming almost bored, though his fingers drummed on the handle of his sword. “Do you want to kill them, or should I?” he asked coolly.
“Let them go. They can take the message back to their kingdom.” Phil turned to face Techno, and caught a gleam of heightened respect in his eyes as he nodded assent. His attack on Mynes must have impressed the red-eyed soldier.
“Come on,” Techno began walking back towards their castle, tossing his braid back over his shoulder. “Let’s see who survived the battle.”