Fanilly considered the proposals for approaching the fort. While getting close with stealth was undoubtedly an ideal approach, it seemed difficult even utilizing the long grass... Though perhaps the naga was more capable of stealth simply due to her nature? But if they delayed longer, then it was possible that there was no way that whatever force currently occupied the fort would be able to prepare...

... But...

... Something was strange. Something didn't make sense. If the fort was being occupied... where was everyone? At this distance, it should have been possible to see someone on the walls, someone [i]somewhere[/i].

But there was no-one. For that matter, there was seemingly no sign the walls had been sieged at all. The fort seemed as if it was almost untouched from the outside... Just what was going on? Surely if there had been an attack...

Something didn't add up.

"... Very well, go ahead and take a look. If anyone spots you, signal us immediately."

Once Dame Maritza and Sir Jarde had proceeded ahead, Fanilly found herself sinking deep into thought...

... What if they were too late? What if something had gone terribly wrong? What if everyone in the fort was dead already?

Unfortunately for the scouting team, there was little more that could be discerned on approach and thus nothing to be reported. Without going too close to avoid being seen, it seemed as if the north door was intact and there was absolutely no-one on the walls.

When they signaled to approach...

The knights were able to proceed right up to the north gate without being stopped. On closer inspection it wasn't even shut...

But within...

The first and foremost among these details was what had been done to the south gate. The doors were reinforced, capable of barring entry to anyone but those using siege weaponry or potent magic. They had been destroyed, splinters of wood scattered across the ground, one of the doors even smashed off its reinforced hinges and lying on the ground. And within...

Corpses.

The bodies of the soldiers who had occupied the fort were visible, now. Not all of them, but enough to make it clear what had happened. Bodies lay strewn across the fort's open entryway. They had died through various means, more and more discernible as the knights approached. Some had been stabbed, others riddled with arrows, some burned... and some seemingly hit with extreme force, limbs at odd angles. Whatever the case had been, the fort's soldiers had been absolutely massacred.

And inside, Fanilly could see a man wearing Thaln's colors frantically raising a crossbow. Spurring her horse on, she tried to get to his assistance...

A crimson spear pierced his chest before he could even aim.

"You could have just surrendered, but you had to throw it all away, didn't you?" said a voice, as the spear's wielder came into view. It was a strange tone, somewhat... squeaky in a way that might be endearing if not for the situation. The wielder's appearance was that of an extremely pale, petite girl with dark blue hair in pigtails, her eyes as crimson as her spear. The armor she wore was light, leather, overlapping to provide better protection. "What a wasted life."

Almost immediately, Fanilly drew her sword, cold fury in her eyes. This girl... she was responsible for this...!?

"Drop your weapon immediately, or the Iron Roses will kill you where you stand," she said, her tone cold and piercing. This girl had just slain a soldier of Thaln right before their eyes. If she did not immediately surrender, her execution would be immediate rather then after imprisonment.

"... Ah?" the spear-wielding girl looked up, resting her weapon on her shoulder. "... Ohhh, those Rose knights, huh? Heh, your captain's just as cute as I heard. I wonder if that's why you all follow her so closely?"

In spite of the situation, the leather-clad girl grinned.

"You don't have to be mad," she continued, "These aren't the noble soldiers of Thaln you think they are, or whatever the blazes you were thinking. Just go inside and you'll see what's really going on."

She shrugged.

"I dunno what happened here either, to be honest. Fuckin' bloodbath if I ever saw one."

This was... they weren't Thaln's soldiers? But they were wearing the colors, the armor... what was going on? To Fanilly, it sounded like a trap. She'd just seen her kill a man in Thaln's colors, and yet she was expected to believe that this girl wasn't actually killing a soldier of Thaln?

It didn't make any sense, but if it was a trap... then it also was a rather poor one...

The blue-haired girl sighed, cocking her head. Her pigtails bobbed. "What, are you going to attack me? Fine then. But it's not going to magically make your assumptions right."

She snickered. If they had taken this entire fort, there were surely other fighters somewhere around here...

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