The Attack on the Tower

[Scout]

Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.

He sat at a desk on the highest level of the tower. A single sheet of paper sat before him, and charcoal moved across it like a calligrapher’s brush. He was deep in his work, one of the few things that still interested him in his altered existence. Art was timeless, as he now was.

As he finished the work, a small magical construct wearing a dressing gown shuffled into the room from the stairwell. He looked up at it momentarily. It was a homunculus carrying a letter. He took the letter and read it, his eyes scanning it. In a couple of moments, he had finished it, and he incinerated it in his palm. He went back to the table and picked up his work.

It was an icon of death.

[Snow]

One week earlier...

General Gravelink shook his head as he looked over the maps. Ordrithar had many nautral defenses that he would have to work around to move his troops into the area. Five thousand troops would have to march through the wasteland surrounding the Clockwork Tower. There would have to be supply convoys with food, and makeshift places to rest, maybe even some mechanical horse regiments to scout ahead and act as cavalry...

Scout, you are a tough thing to attack.

A knock sounded from Gravelink's door. "Come in," he said. The door opened, and a young man with long, blonde hair came in. A sword adorned his hip, and he carried a shield on his back. Gravelink smiled. "Ah, Snow. You got my message."

"Yes, General Gravelink." Snow looks at the maps on the table. "Might I ask why I was summoned here, General?"

"Of course, Snow." Gravelink gestured to the maps. "I am planning an assault on the Clockwork Tower." Snow flinched. Gravelink continued, ignoring this. "I want you to be my lieutenant. You know the most about Scout of any Silent Rose member, and possibly anyone in the world."

"General, he's my brother. You can't expect me to fight him. Even though he is clockwork-"

General Gravelink held up his hand. Snow stopped, breathing heavily. Gravelink spoke quietly. "Snow. Scout stopped being your brother the moment when the Court turned him into that clockwork abomination." Snow glared at Gravelink. "Also, do you know the price for refusing one of my orders?"

Snow looked at Gravelink. Gravelink's signature glaive was resting on the wall behind him. It was simple; not jeweled or elaborate. The edge was sharp, but not so sharp that it would buckle against armor. Sharp enough to cleanly cut through Snow's bones.

"...Yes, sir."

"Good." Gravelink went back to his maps. "Dismissed. We're leaving tomorrow."

************************

"This is stupid."

tick tick tick tick tick tick

"I know. You don't have to remind me."

"Yes I do. It's stupid. You know it's stupid. You're just too cowardly to do anything about it.

tick tick tick tick tick tick

Snow looked at the tin man. "You're really getting on my nerves."

He looked back. "Scout will never look at you the same way. His own brother attacking him? You won't leave the battlefield. He'll rip you to shreds."

tick tick tick tick tick tick

"Shut up. I need to write this letter to Scout."

"Warning him won't work. It doesn't matter if you say it's not your choice or not. He won't understand. You're a dead man."

tick tick tick tick tick tick

"Get out of my head!"

"No."

"Get out of my head!"

"No."

tick tick tick tick tick tick

"GET OUT!"

Silence.

Snow breathed, and looked back at the letter. He just hoped that Scout would give his warning a chance.