I already saw a lot of things. The world entering the age of apocalyptic events, zombies walking on the streets, monsters on television news, giant water serpents at the riverside, and even the doors of my death.
But who would just have thought a girl, a young little girl could just magically conjure a wall of ice out of nowhere. It's not something you'd see every day. And even though everything in our world had gone mad, magic was still the least I'd expect coming from a little lass.
Before the wolf gets back on its feet and munch me for breakfast, the girl dragged me into the forest and the chase downhill started.
"Don't look back. Just run!" she implied.
The uneven terrain was already hard to deal with, but wolves suddenly pouncing out of nowhere made it more difficult to maneuver. Their white furs blend too perfectly in the snow, hiding their bloodthirsty intent until their fangs are almost in your neck.
Sliding through the snowy slopes, jumping over rocks and logs while evading hungry dogs, this pattern continued until their presence abruptly disappeared. I kept glancing back, seeing nothing visible in tail yet the little girl kept muttering to keep running.
"I think they're gone…"
"Don't be fooled. They don't give up just like that" she claimed, then howls resonated from the forest once more.
Further down the mountain, wooden townhouses glimpse from within the thick forest while pointy ice pokes out of the trees.
"Finally, a town…" I gasped as my lungs tighten from my nonathletic body while the view of the settlement gets closer. Old structures covered in thick ice peek from afar as its surrounding trees were like sharp ice sculptures, embedding the real ones under those cold layers, and barricading most borders of the town from hostilities. "… maybe someone in there can help us…"
"That is the town of snowflake, my hometown. But there's no one living there other than me so no help is coming."
"Then who are they?" From within a wooden tower, few men point their fingers at us then an arrow seared, scraping my cheek before plunging into the ground. A little shift to my right, I would have lost my ability to breathe. "… Those piece of-! I don't think they'll help us."
"No, but they Are leaving!" Maliyah growled then hurled a huge snowball into the wooden watchtower, causing the men to flee the spot before its roof was blasted away.
As we got into the town's entrance, a group of people concealed in robes rests around a bonfire glowing near a stone statue of a woman standing in the center of the town.
"Get down!" she shouted then snow blasted the ground, tossing the men who tried to advance back to where the others had gathered. This startled the other people in robes but only a few carries a blade as others hid behind. "Who are you!? What are you doing at my place!?"
The air around her was colder as her anger rises but they just ignored her tantrum. As they prepare to advance once more, a sudden gust of wind separated Maliyah who had already conjured ice spires, and the angry mobs.
"B-broadsword…" I gasped. The snow dust unfurls until a man with a large blade stands between the brewing fight.
"S-sir Kent! What are you doing!?" they asked.
"This is her majesty's order. Stand down!"
"H-her majesty's?"
"Apologies for the behavior of my men. As for their actions, they only look after our safety" among the robed people, a girl around my age stood and greeted. She had pale skin hidden under the blue robe, and her hair was hued blue.
"But princess Francine, they might be bandits or monsters in disguise" a red-haired soldier blurted.
"That's enough Felix, sheath your swords! All of you!" ordered by the man who carries the large blade. There was hesitation in those men at first but seeing the straightened face of their princess, they couldn't disobey the orders. "We do not wish any trouble and simply took shelter-"
"Get out! You are not allowed in place! Especially you from the kingdom!" Maliyah claimed, enraging her bodyguards of the royalty but the captain and the princess looked downcast. "You already abandoned us and let everyone die!"
"Look, we're-"
"I SAID LEAVE!" she shouted, cutting off the princess' words yet before anyone could even react, the snarls of the approaching wolves grew louder.
"Princess! Princess!" A young soldier rushing from the southern entrance called. "Wolves started appearing in the south!"
More guards appeared, reporting the same report but coming from different directions. One detailed a single pack, while others said a group of them but no matter how we see it, the town was already surrounded.
"Protect the princess!" The soldiers claimed, preparing to advance towards the incoming attack but Maliyah swiftly blocked the entrance we came through with a wall of ice, pissing them off even further.
"Tsk! Are you all out of your minds!? Defend from the higher ground!" She shouted then left, closing all the gaps and space of the village, and leaving all of us stunned.
"You heard her! Archer units, grab your bows and cover us from higher grounds. Mages, help the girl close all the beast's possible way in and keep them out of this town. And Infantries, defend the civilians and fend those who breakthrough!" the princess commanded then the soldiers divided. "Alsha Illumina, for Archedia!"
The siege continues while I was stuck in the middle of the town. Both shocked and mesmerized by the scene of something only in books and movies happen. Arrows raining outside, claws clashing against sharp blades, and magic firing toward the enemies. A scene you don't get to see every day in real life.
"What are you dawdling there, kid!? If you ain't hiding, help us out!" one of the soldiers claimed, shoving me a bow and a quiver of arrows. "Here, help Felix defend the southern part of this place!"
I rushed into one of the houses' rooftops due south out of excitement, forgetting I had never held a bow in my entire life. The rope with the bow were quite sturdy, it took a hefty of strength from me just to make a pull and the arrows I released rarely hit what it aims, meanwhile the red-haired guy on the other building's roof already killed two.
It took almost an hour before the wolves had stopped attempting to invade and the cheers inside the town had resonated. I collapsed on my feet, leaning on the chimney from fatigue. It was as if just using the bow made me tire faster the more I shot an arrow with it. But I couldn't have time to rest as one of the princess' soldiers commanded me to head into the center.
Everyone seemed fine. Aside from the infantry soldiers having light wounds, most of them were still capable of moving around and distributing the cooked wolf meat they'd killed.
Yet It was only at the time I notice that most of the robed people weren't soldiers but civilians, including elderlies and children whose age is much younger than Maliyah. All of them participated in defending the walls, despite their age.
Speaking of that girl, she was absent from the scene.
"Sigh. First, she asks everyone to leave out of spite then puts her life on the line to protect them." I muttered. "Just what is that kid thinking, jeez… Where is she, anyway?"
"It is also my query as well," the princess asked. "I wish to thank you two for helping us. And I'm sorry for entering your town without permission."
"Wait, my town?"
"Yes. I know we suddenly barged into you and your sister's place without consent but we had to find a place to rest. My people had been tired from traveling this far and camping in the wild would endanger them."
"Hold on, you're mistaking something. I don't live here and she's not my sister"
"You aren't a resident here?" she doubted.
"I don't think I'm even from in this world…" I replied, scratching my head.
"An outsider!" a soldier claimed, unsheathing his sword as some of them imitated him. "This man's dangerous! Princess, let me end him right where he stands!"
"Dangerous, my ass. This kid can't even aim nor pull a bow properly, let alone look capable of swinging a sword" the red-haired soldier claimed. "No offense kid, but you just really suck. I don't even know why I thought you could be even a threat earlier. "
"Felix!!!" the princess scolded. "Sorry about him…"
"Don't worry, none taken. There's no need for thanks as well. I did try helping but only ended up wasting most of the arrows" I replied but reality does sting a bit.
"No, the fact that you did despite our hostility towards you earlier is already worth one's gratitude. You also have my sincerest thanks and apologies" the princess said.
"As I've said, there's no need for that." I insisted, unconsciously scratching the scrape in my cheeks. "But why is a princess out here rather than in her castle? I don't think this is just a simple excursion or a leisurely trip"
"It isn't, indeed. We were chased out of the castle premises by my brother's order…" she replied and her stories were told. The princess, a few trusted knights, and her servants escaped the king's city after his brother's coronation took place but a lot of her men and servants had perished along the way. What remains now was just a fraction of her original party and were considered rebels of the kingdom of Coldhart, the kingdom the princess used to belong.
But to why they were treated as such, I couldn't know as they had never mentioned it and I never had the courage to ask. As the burden on their faces darkens just discussing the topic of what happened.
"Y-young miss!" the princess called upon the appearance of Maliyah.
I dragged the young child away from the crowd for a moment. Upon seeing the their faces, they were indeed in need of shelter, and the feeling of guilt will consume me if I let those people wander into the forest again and be eaten by those wolves.
After wisphering and convincing the girl, she let out a sigh and faced the crowd and the princess.
"I've decided… I'll let you stay in my town," Maliyah said, which caused the princess's relief and the civilians cheers. "But on one condition."
"Okay, what is it?" the princess asked.
"We're in charge. My town, my rules." Maliyah's words had brought confusion to their thoughts and disagreement in their gazes. Some couldn't hold their tongue and spoke why the princess should be the one pulling the strings but the princess didn't respond to her servants' scowls and instead nodded in agreement towards Maliyah's condition.
But who's more surprised was me. When she said 'we', she had her fingers pointing her and me. And she looked at me as if she was saying, 'this is your idea, so deal with it'.
"We will agree on the condition in exchange for the refuge," the princess said.
"Hold on, your highness. We can't accept this. Why must serve under someone other than her highness!?" a soldier scowled along with the other men who were left on the scene.
"That's right, your highness! One is an outsider, and the other is just a little lass" another soldier shouted.
"Enough with the formalities. My title has brought you all nothing but tragedy and the lives of your loved ones." she mourned. "And my title was already long gone by the time my brother's coronation comences and our abandonment of the kingdom, in exchange for everyone's safety"
"But your highness, what can those two even do for us in this wrecked place!?"
"Even if it's wrecked, this is still my hometown." Maliyah raised her words. "Those who don't agree with my condition are free to leave."
"What makes you think you own place when it's her highness' land?" a man asked as the others agreed.
Maliyah didn't respond but instead, she untied the laces of her cloak, dropping it into the snowy field while revealing a badge pinned in the collar of her blue dress. A symbol of a snowflake, embedded with a blue jewel at the center, left the people speechless.
"I am Maliyah Craftel, daughter of Theodore Craftel, and heir of this independent town of Snowflake. No kingdom nor king had authority on this domain in accordance with the treaty made after the age of great war!"
"A descendant of the hero. One was still alive?" a soldier gasped, then murmurs began circulating the crowd.
"As agreed, I'll let you all stay as long as you abide by the condition. You can take refuge in any house except mine. But I still haven't forgiven the kingdom for abandoning us." She claimed then left, entering the only two-storied house around after picking up her cloak.
And in her disappearance, the crowd murmured among themselves. "T-then… does that mean we're under the protection of the hero's descendant?"
This news seemed to have sparked joy into the civilians while the soldiers and the princess appears to be troubled, she uttered the words "…she's changed…"
But amidst of all the joy, I was in confusion. Why is her last name the same as mine?
"So, what now, Mr. Outsider?" one of the soldiers asked, as the rest of the crowd stared at me, waiting for my response.