The woman who lived by the hill

(66) Because of a 'hostage'

Said I'd finish this by 4am at 11pm. Time of publication: 12am 😎

—SmaugIsADragon

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Paradis
858

Many had collapsed before reaching the city and had to be carried—dragged in most cases. Others had died either from untreated wounds or dehydration. Their corpses were not properly buried and no ceremony, however unprofessional they could've been, was held. The dozen survivors, weakened by the endless walking in hot conditions, and deprived of water and food for several days, were incapable of doing so. They were forced to leave the corpses behind on the empty dirt land of Marley.

Eventually, they arrived at a city, and thank god for it. Citizens spotted the group approaching in the distance and came to their rescue with doctors, water and strong arms. Once transported to a small, low-budget hospital, the men and women were cleaned, changed and fed by volunteers. Infection, sickness, and the side effects of dehydration were treated by a team of doctors and nurses.

Among those who had persisted throughout the voyage and reached the city with their lives were Armin, Jean, Annie and Reiner. The others were an assortment of soldiers, important military figures and ordinary citizens who had suffered the wrath of Paradis's army.

A few days passed. Quickly regaining their strength, the ANRs began to walk around, helping their recovering fellow survivors. Armin set to work just as soon as he'd woken up the second day, discussing the recent attack on Fort Salta with his superiors. He demanded that General Barklov, the current leader of Marley, travel to the city where they were staying and meet them in the hospital.

The General made his appearance no less than twenty-four hours later. Barklov was a man of average size and average height and a wild beard that was far from neat but that he was inexplicably fond of. He strode confidently through the doors of the hospital, announcing his obvious presence to the waiting Allied Nations Representatives.

"Its good to see you all alive," said the General, nodding to them. "I actually received a report a few days ago from a messenger bird. I presume you sent it while you were still aboard that truck?"

"Yes, that would be Armin's idea, sir," said Reiner, clapping his friend on the back.

Arlert gave a small, sheepish smile, but replaced it swiftly with a serious expression. "General. You know about Connie?"

"I do. I've already communicated with the Queen of Paradis that we will not tolerate his capture, nor the detainment of Gabi Braun."

Jean, Annie and Armin turned to look at Reiner at the same time. The young man's eyes had widened and colour had quickly faded from his face.

"Did you say... Gabi Braun?"

"Yes. That poor child." Barklov shook his head. "Apparently, she attended the funeral for Levi Ackerman on Paradis but never returned. Her absence was—incredibly—only noticed until the ship had reached our shore, and by then it was too late to return to save her. For the time being, Queen Historia claims that they haven't kidnapped her, but I know better than to trust a woman who'd mercilessly send her troops to attack Fort Salta." The General walked across the room to a window, where he stared out at the miserable stormy sky with a frown. "You know, a boy named Falco Grice came to me personally, begging that I do something about it. Yougn love like that is just so inspiring, yet so sad because I know it can never be."

***

Promises from a country's ruler to save one single person were empty. Falco realized this fact after he went to plead at General Barklov's feet and the latter could barely offer a quarter of his attention to the boy. And so, despaired and knowing that promises to save Gabi were groundless and the undertaking would probably never take place, Falco set off to rescue his friend himself.

He paid a hefty price for a shady group of young men to transport him secretly to one of Marley's many ports and have him escape to sea on a small sailboat. Recommendation was the steer clear of any battleships and the general area separating his country from Paradis. Falco heeded their advice and took a long way around, docking at a desolate bay somewhere along the enemy shore, miles to the side from the soldier-infested port.

Falco tied his sailboat to a tree growing close to the water. He hoped that in this quiet bay, no one would discover his means of escape.

Just as he was preparing to venture on land, a small gun at his hip and a light pack strung across his back, Falco was interrupted by a man shouting. He glanced back to see a fisherman around fifty years old a short ways away about to push his canoe into the water.

"Are you Marleyan?" asked the stranger.

Alarmed retreating steps were enough of an answer for the fisherman. "Don't worry," he said. "I don't want to hurt you or report you. I believe this war is stupid. Come, tell me what you are doing here."

Hesitantly, Falco said, "My friend is being held hostage here by your Queen." For precautions, the boy pulled out his weapon. He cocked the gun. "I've come to save her. At any cost."

Suddenly, the man's eyes lit up. "Oh. Do you perhaps mean Gabi Braun?"

"Yes! Do you know if she's alright? Is she alive? Where is Gabi?"

"They're keeping her in the dungeons of the royal palace in the interior," said the fisherman. "I think it's truly vile what they're doing to that poor girl. Regular articles in the daily paper of a beaten Marleyan prisoner—it disgusts me." Carefully, keeping a close watch on the loaded gun in Falco's hand, he approached. "I know I don't look like much, but I'm actually part of a rebellious group that wants to dethrone Queen Historia and made the world right again. If you joined us, I can guarantee that we can free your poor, innocent friend."

Attracted by the offer, Falco lowered his gun. He marvelled at his luck of by chance meeting the ideal Parasidian ally. Unfortunately, he failed to evaluate the situation with a clear head.

"Fine," said Grice. "I'll join your rebellion. For Gabi."

The two shook hands.

"My name is Falco Grice. Thank you for your help."

"It's no problem. I just want to fix the world. I'm Reynolds."