Frostbound [LitRPG Apocalypse]

Vanessa

New Norfolk

"My Lady, Rachel is calling for you," Michael informed her.

About time. She'd played her game of delaying, but they both knew the deal was going to get signed. Vanessa knew they wouldn't give up the chance at what she was offering, and they knew they wouldn't get it any other way.

Not with Zuri knocking on her doors.

She didn't fear her; she felt confident in winning if it came down to a straight fight. She feared Zuri getting the Admiral involved. After using the Flame for years? No, the Starlight Mage wasn't an obstacle. It was the Admiral she feared.

Even before she had come to his city, she knew that the army he commanded and the forces he could bring to bear weren't something that she could hold off. Zuri and the Admiral working together would wear her down and take her treasure.

Which was something she couldn't allow.

Sure, giving up strength to an outside Faction that she could have otherwise kept for her own was rough, but it beat losing it completely. At first, she had hoped to rely on Ryan and whatever the man was doing in Canada, but something didn't sit right with her about him.

There was... something about him she didn't like.

Then, like a phoenix from the ashes, Rachel came waltzing into the picture. She needed access to the treasure, and Vanessa needed an ally. It was perfect. Their earlier trade of Fire for Metal and Earth techniques only built the framework for what they were about to sign now.

If Vanessa was honest, she was glad she had waited for Frostheim, rather than settling for New Canada. From everything she had gathered, they were a good ally to have. Strong too, if what was said about their leader was true. Shame he didn't use fire.

She had expected him to be here himself, but signing a deal with Rachel wasn't all that bad. She had a Title and was high up in their hierarchy. Not to mention, Vanessa knew her the best.

"Well, let's not keep her waiting," Vanessa smiled, her plans finally coming together. With help from the North, actual help, she wouldn't even need to worry if New Boston's new Leader sided with Zuri.

Bri wasn't even that strong compared to Liam.

The Admiral didn't seem inclined to get involved unless he had to. She doubted he'd still commit with the added risk of fighting against a second Faction like Frostheim to back her up.

Ashton

New Canada's residence in New Norfolk

"God Damnit!" Ryan swore, startling Ashton from the heat in his voice.

Ryan was usually a calm and collected leader who rarely, if ever, got emotional about things. This was one of the few times he'd seen the Faction Leader so worked up.

"After so many messages back and forth, the Witch sides with the Barbarians!" Ryan yelled in frustration, "All my plans, gone. That motherf–"

"Sir," Pierre interrupted before any more could be said.

Ryan took a breath, the anger bleeding from his face as he composed himself, "Yes, sorry. It's just a lot of things will have to change."

Ashton wasn't exactly sure why Ryan decided to bring him along on this trip, but he was glad for it. He'd tried his best to increase his power after seeing so many people stronger than him at the Gathering, but he still hadn't managed to reach their level.

Not that he didn't feel strong, just not as strong as some of the other people he knew about. The Admiral, the Fire Witch, the Starlight Mage. Christopher.

His evolution had done a lot to restore his confidence, but he knew he wasn't on their level yet. Not after what happened.

Ashton, in his foolishness, had thought he'd managed to close the gap. After hearing the man had delayed his evolution, Ashton felt he had caught up just a little bit. Oh, how wrong he had been.

Lakeshore was proof that he was still far off.

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Or should he call it Emberhold now, as that was the new name they had given it after they had smashed it to pieces.

Still, part of the reason he was here was to deal with the fallout of that particular mess. With Ryan here, he could have some backing during renegotiations.

"And you," Ryan turned on Ashton, still holding an ember of anger, "I still can't believe you didn't warn him. We'll be lucky if we keep any ownership of the mine!"

"I'm sorry, sir," Ashton bowed his head. He knew he shouldn't have hoped they'd take each other out, but who could blame him? The man attacked a fully fortified city that had been warned and prepared for an assault, and still won.

Easily at that, from what he could tell. Their casualties, which Ashton had thought would be high enough to weaken them, were barely worth noting down; the number was so small.

"Not only have they muscled us out of the crystals, which are a strategic resource, they've managed to steal Vanessa away, too." Ryan started to raise his voice again, but caught himself before Pierre had to warn him.

Pierre, more of a fighter than a strategist, suggested something that made Ashton suck in a breath, "What if we side with Zuri. We aren't too late to change sides in the upcoming conflict. We've only held initial talks."

Ashton never thought of himself as a coward, but even the thought of facing Chris on the field of battle made his blood run cold. Like it was a precursor to when he actually did run cold after the man smashed him with his hammer.

What was worse was that Ryan actually considered it, "Hmm. Ashton, you know Christopher best. What do you think he will do when faced with the decision?"

Ashton coughed, not understanding, "What decision?"

"To hold up his end of the deal and come to the Witch's aid, even if it meant going to war against Zuri, the Admiral, and me. Would he still do it when faced with the might of three powerful Factions, even if it was suicide?"

Pierre interjected with the second bad idea, "We could probably convince Bri, too, bringing New Boston to our side. She owes us for helping her win the succession."

Four against two? Somehow, that didn't make Ashton feel any better. Even if it was four of the most populous Factions of the East. Zuri had an army of thousands, the Admiral more, and Ryan too. Bri, while she didn't have a force as big as the other three, still had a sizable force as well.

Against Vanessa and the Northerners, they'd outnumber them by an amount that boggled the mind. An amount many would say was insurmountable.

But Ashton had seen the man fight.

He didn't want the force of nature arrayed against him, even if he had the numbers.

Instead of answering straight up, he tried to put what he knew into perspective. To give Ryan an idea of the man he was dealing with.

"Christopher is... different." Ashton said, "You ever see those wild west movies? The ones with the old gunslingers and shootouts?"

"Wild west movies?" Ryan turned completely, face of confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"Have you seen them?" Ashton asked.

"Yeah, what about them?"

"You know those scenes, where two of the gunslingers are about to fight for one reason or another, and they've both got their hands hovering over their pistols, just waiting for a reason to pull?"

"Yes, I've seen Tombstone." Ryan nodded.

Ashton continued, "Well, Chris is the type of person to look his opponent in the eye, and without fear, say 'try me'."

Seeing Ryan still didn't understand, Ashton made it simpler, "If Chris has said he'd come to the Witch's aid, either in writing, verbally, or even indirectly, even if he's faced with all four Factions, he'd still do it."

"Why? Those two wouldn't stand a chance. He'd only be digging his own grave." Ryan was incredulous.

"Christopher doesn't see it that way." Ashton said, "The way he sees it, he said he'd do it, so he will. That's it. No matter if it's two on two, two on four, or two on ten."

Pierre was about to interject, but Ashton stopped him. He didn't want to hear a third bad idea from the man. "I'll say this again, because I don't think it sank in the first time. The man destroyed Lakeshore all because they didn't heed his warning. Take Frostheim and Flame Falls meeting now as the warning. They'll come out with an alliance, that's all but assured. If you still go ahead with this idea, the exact same scenario will play out."

He watched Ryan pace around the room, thinking over what was said with a hand to his chin, trying to find the best way forward from here. His initial plan was to bring both Vanessa and Bri into the fold; that way, if Zuri did decide to do anything, it would be three Factions against her.

That was all up in smoke now, making him rethink how to pick up the pieces.

"He's already allied with Marcus, what if a war kicks off there and with Vanessa at the same time? He'd have to choose, then, wouldn't he? There's no way he could defend both." Ryan muttered, "Mikayla and Tasunka both want that Water treasure after all; them vying for it isn't outside the realm of possibility."

The hope Ashton had held in steering Ryan away from a confrontation with Frostheim all but died when he heard that.

"Why, sir?" He couldn't help but ask, "Why are you so adamant about antagonizing them? They've been decent neighbors; they even helped fight the Demons when they didn't have to. Why throw all of that away?"

Based on the face Ryan was making, Ashton had said more than he should have, but he wasn't going to back down now. Not when the person he had chosen to follow was doing something so inexplicably foolish.

"Because the North is mine." Ryan hissed. "Canada is mine. I will not have that barbarian take what doesn't belong to him. He's already cut us off from the West. With Frostheim in the North and Emberhold at the Lake, any trade with the West has to go through them."

Ryan wasn't done, either. "He has the mine that should have been ours. He has not one, not two, but three D-rank dungeons! Even though we have so much more land than him, we only have two! He has an Ice treasure on nearly the same level as the ones Vanessa and Marcus do."

It was then that Ashton began to understand the reasoning behind it. Ryan was scared. At the rate they were going, Frostheim would only grow stronger and stronger until it was something New Canada wouldn't be able to stand up against.

If he deepened his connection with Marcus and Vanessa, who both held treasures of their own, the gap between them would only grow.

Emberhold had already started work on a harbor and even had ships sailing on the Lake. They had met with the Great Lakes Alliance, which would only tip the scales further.

Ryan was afraid, and in being afraid, was planning to doom them all.