Casper was stunned, looking at the three people who had just teleported behind him.
One of them had a metallic staff in his hand with a red dodecahedron very similar to the tower's in its tip. He wore a cape made with wool and fur, all blue and with white trim. He had a bald head and a skinny body. He wore glasses with lenses that did not seem to be common.
The second man had basically the same attire as him. He had his entire right arm involved with an exoskeleton. His hair was curly and he had a strong bodybuild. A weapon that seemed a shotgun rested in his shoulder. It had a metallic design, in black and red, and a threatening look.
Casper had seen weapons like that with other Ridire before. They were mostly assaulting rifles and shotguns. Their effects and type of damage were different from the weapons of Casper's world. And it was all Energy-based.
It probably was the type of weapon offered to the Ridire to use.
In the fuss of the battle, Casper did not notice these kinds of details, but even Sionnach had her weapons like that, with exception of the machete.
Among the two men, was a woman that had blond hair so light in color that nearly could be called silver, with smooth and light waves, and that descended until the middle of her back.
She wore a single-piece white dress, long enough to touch the snow on the ground and drag when she walked.
"So, that's the so-called Princess… I wouldn't expect less…"
The three of them walked in front of Casper. The warriors on her side would just give a step closer when she did. They did not stop to stare at the enemy. Each seemed prepared to jump in front of the Princess and receive a shoot or two, just to protect her.
Even though they were in an open field, without any cover near there, they were bold and could even be mistaken by carefree.
The Princess's eyes were cold and attentive, and she was looking to the sides, taking note of all the situation there. She ignored all the Frelsi gathered in front, and just gave them attention when she finished her inspection.
Then, she turned towards Casper all of a sudden, looking him over her shoulder.
That cold, dead-like stare was enough to make Casper shiver and have a chill descending his spine.
"What kind of human would have such a cold look on his face…? Hey, talking of faces… Their masks…"
Now that Casper had a good look on their faces, their masks seemed different from the civilians.
Instead of being a deep brown mask, it was a cream tone, like if it was made of white wood. The mask did not have a smooth surface, it was quadrangular, like a texture of a game of Playstation 1.
"So, the masks apparently are different from each social class? The brown tone is for the commoners and the lighter ones go for the Nobles (or Jarls as they refer to them) and for some of the military…" Casper realized it as soon as he noticed that difference.
"Maybe the Frelsi wear half-broken masks like a protest against the government. So, whatever the real reason, it has something to do with the masks… Now the thing is: why they wear them, and what those masks do?
Casper had some conclusions, but more questions came as well.
"You. What is your name?" The Princess asked, in a voice you would not expect from a Princess, but for a matured Queen.
"C-Casper…"
"Strange name…"
"I bet yours will be as strange, I guess…" Casper started to thought how the hell he could make such a comment in a situation like that!
"Say to me, could you be the one who activated that tower?"
He hesitated for a moment. Anyone would say "yes" promptly, as a way to gain her trust and compliments. However, Casper was not an impulsive person in situations like that.
After several hours in that world, some of those hours interacting directly with a person who lived there, Casper was learning how to grasp people's feelings and intentions through their voices and eyes.
He was not so good at behavioral analysis to catch every micro-movement they did with their bodies, but that much he could do at least.
Anyway, hearing the Princess's tone of voice, Casper could notice that she was not exactly looking so happy and grateful. He could grasp a bit of angry there.
He must be careful with his words.
"I was one of the many people who tried to activate the tower."
"I will repeat the question and don't answer me with half-truths, foreigner. Could you, possibly, be the person who activated the tower?"
"I don't know."
One of the guards drew a pistol, aiming it towards Casper and waiting for the command.
Casper looked at him with a slight smile, but being sure to make his eyes look as though they were empty. The perfect act for indifference.
"She is a Noble. A foreigner, even lower than a commoner, talking with her as if we were in the same level must have hurt her pride. So a quick death definitely won't satisfy her."
She raised her arm towards one of the warriors, stopping him without saying a word.
Reluctantly, the guard kept his pistol again, looking to Casper a bit pissed off.
The Princess elegantly walked towards him, looking at the soldier with disdain.
"You are not in a situation where you can afford yourself to be so bold, White warrior." Hearing her say that name made him almost puke from nausea and stomachache. All he could remember listening to that name was all the Ridire troops that followed him dying one by one in a one-sided battle. And then… Nach appeared his mind once again…
With a final effort, he used all his focus to brush it off and return to the argument.
"Princess, it doesn't matter who activated it, right? The important is that your troops will stop dying now. Or are you more concerned with who fixed that tower than for your own men?"
Behind the mask, she looked surprised, not just for the solid argument he gave, but for the size of his courage.
"I will keep you in mind, White warrior. But, for now, we need to solve some other things."
She started to walk slowly towards the frozen Frelsi that were seeming to start to panic.
She raised her wrist, typing something on a silver bracelet she had there. As soon as she did, something started to materialize in her hands.
It was a shield. A high-tech shield. With a metallic design; the body was made of white material and the edges of it looked as sharp as blades. Veins were crossing the shield's front in different directions like it was cracked, and they were brightening in a light blue color.
The Frelsi could not move an inch after seeing what she was wielding. The terror in their faces was clear. Some of them even started to pray.
"Canute, where you said it was going on?" She asked, calmly.
The warrior with the staff made a brief movement with it and a round red portal appeared in front of the princess. He also said some coordinates. The Princess nodded in agreement.
"May the light of Asgard befell on you and purify your sinful lives. Succumb to Odin's judgment!"
Energy from the tower started to be sucked by that shield, which started to bright even more.
Canute said some words that Casper could not hear. After this, a bunch of those portals appeared at different points in the sky.
The Princess aimed the front of her shield to the portal in front of her, and then a light blue beam was shot from the shield towards it.
After some seconds, beams of the same nature descended from portals in the sky at high speed, causing average explosions when they touched the ground. The enemies burnt without the chance of saying any other words.
It was like the sight of an apocalypse. Casper could just imagine what happened to those people around the city who were caught by that powerful attack.
After using her weapon to vanish all the battlefield, the Princess typed on her bracelet and made it dematerialize.
She sighed hard before the sight of the beams descending one by one. The bright city got even brighter after that, now bathed in the blue light of energy that purged the entire city.
The warriors and she waited solemnly for that show to have an end, looking at all that destruction intently.
The Frelsi gathered in front of them were vanished as well.
Casper was amazed, yet terrified. They had just committed genocide, and acted coldly and composed like that.
"These people… Are they dangerous? No, that's not the question; but, are they evil? Crazy maybe? What are their real goals? Was I fighting on the wrong side all this while?
"Sionnach… Did she die… fighting for the right cause? I nearly died so many times as well doing the right thing? Maybe the Frelsi didn't have an option. Maybe this rebellion is their only way to change the current situation of the District… Maybe all the misery is the noble's fault."
Casper started to tremble and think about what he could do to get out of that situation.
"Ok, Canute, Ari, follow me. It's about time all this situation came to an end… And you, White warrior… Tag along as well." She turned her back, giving a last glance to the tower and towards Casper, then walked to leave the complex.
Without any options, Casper followed her