《The Cold War In Another World (Discontinued)》 Unknown Sightings 0700AM EST Time - April 7TH - 1969 - Washington D.C - White House. It is currently a warm April day as Guards begin their patrols around the White house. As President Nixion begins to enter the building, a man ran towards the president, a CIA analyst As he ran towards the president, he ran inside the President''s office. ¡°Mr. President, I need you to look at these photos,¡± The CIA analyst said. As he handed Nixon the Photos, he asked. ¡°What am I exactly looking for here, son?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not entirely sure ourselves, but this was found in Antarctica, taken by a spy plane following a soviet ship, it flew off course and found this instead,¡± He said as he points to the photos. ¡°Does the CIA have any idea what it is?¡± Nixon asked. ¡°Not entirely sure sir, the pilot said that it looked like a swirling disk floating in the air,¡± The CIA analyst said. ¡°That so¡­¡± After saying this, Nixon picked up the phone on his desk and called his assistance. ¡°Debra, get the conference room ready.¡± After 2 hours of getting the conference members to Washington D.C, the meeting will finally begin. As Nixon entered the room, members of the National Security Council were already there as well as others Nixon found useful such as Vice President Spiro Agnew, and Melvin R. Laird, the Secretary of Defence. As Nixon entered the room, they all stood and sat back down as he sat down. ¡°Now Gentlemen, you might be concerned why I have called an emergency meeting, earlier today, I was informed that an U.S spy plane had gotten off course following a soviet ship around the southern ocean, and had found a strange object in Antarctica.¡± A projector then starts, revealing multiple Photos of the arctic and the strange object the spy plane had found. ¡°From what was told, it was stated to be like a swirly disk, floating above the ground,¡± Nixon said. ¡°Is that all the information we have on this¡­ disk?¡± Asked the National security advisor, Henry Kissinger. ¡°Unfortunately not the Photos were taken around 5:30 am today and only got to my office around 7:00 am,¡± Nixon said. ¡°However, I have already sent an Investigation team to further examine it.¡± ¡°President Nixon, I don¡¯t think seeding an Investigation team is the best Idea,¡± Said the Director of CIA, Richard M. Helms. ¡°If the Soviets were to find out an Investigation team was to Antarctica they¡¯ll Intervene. ¡°I agree with Helms Mr. President, Soviet Antarctica teams are already there and would Immediately warn the Soviets in Russia if they spot American Investigation teams,¡± Said Marid Larid. ¡°Soviet Interest would peak.¡± ¡°I understand your worries Gentlemen, but the location was found around the tip of Antarctica near South America, possibilities of Soviets around that area are slim,¡± Nixon said. After much talk, it was decided by all in the meeting that the Investigation would continue. --------------------- 0830 AM ART Time - April 7th - 1969 - Southern Sea - US Aircraft Carrier. From a port in Brazil, an Aircraft alongside four Destroyers are heading south to Antarctica, as was requested by President Richard Nixion. As the ships reach within 20 Miles of the northern tip of Antarctica, multiple Bell UH-1 Iroquois fly from the Carrier and head over to the Frozen lands. As the helicopters fly from the carriers and land onto the Arctic lands, many people emerge from them, many Researchers, and soldiers. As they emerge from the helicopters, the leader of the Expedition emerges, Erick Matthson, a man who gained his position due to his work in Vietnam. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s move, remember our mission is to head to the area of operation,¡± He says. Once all members of the Expedition team are prepared they head out to do their mission. All the members are wearing thick heavy coats, despite this, all of them are still freezing. ¡°Geez, despite being one of the most powerful countries in the world they couldn¡¯t afford thicker coats!¡± One of them complains. ¡°Shut up, you¡¯re lucky you even have one and aren¡¯t freezing to death,¡± Another says. ¡°Shut it you two, we¡¯re here to do as discussed in the briefing while on the Carrier,¡± Matthson says. Shortly thereafter the team reaches the site, the reason for their Expedition, an unknown floating disk. ¡°My God¡­ what in the hell is this, some sort of Soviet trap,¡± A researcher says. As the Expedition members talk amongst themselves, a single man seems to be mesmerized by the strange object. The man walks closer and closer to the strange object, the other men are too busy discussing amongst each other to notice him. Before the man can get any closer Matthson stops him by pulling on his arm. ¡°Hey, what the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Mattshon says. ¡°M-my apologies sir, I just lost focus¡­¡± The man says. Mattshon pushes the man back into other men. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re not here to talk amongst ourselves, we¡¯re here to complete a mission!¡± Mattshon shouts. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Upon hearing those words the men begin to unpack their equipment, things such as cameras, and Geiger counters to detect radiation. As they begin to examine the strange object, more Bell UH-1¡¯s arrive with supplies, as they plan to attempt to create a permanent base there. ¡°Sir, I suggest you come to look at this,¡± One man says. ¡°Well, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Mattshon says as he walks up to him. ¡°Well I and some other men realized something strange,¡± He says as he holds a Geiger counter. ¡°It seems that it¡¯s Immeting radiation, but It¡¯s not enough to harm us, but the closer I get the higher it gets as well.¡± The man gets closer to it and the ticking sound of the Geiger counter got faster. ¡°One of the men noticed that It jumps to 50 Rads every foot we get closer, if men were to get within just 5 feet of it without protective gear they¡¯ll die.¡± Mattshon thought intensely of what he just heard. ¡°Alright spread out! Do not get within 10 feet of it!¡± Mattshon shouted. Many men did not understand, some did, but they all walked away from it without hesitation, and Immediate preparation to begin constructing a research base. 1100AM ERT Time - May 1st - 1969 - Antarctica - U.S Research Base ¡°Hey, did you hear about those rumors?¡± ¡°What rumors?¡± ¡°A rumor about how some of the men from the Expedition team that came a month ago died.¡± ¡°Seriously, how¡¯d you think they died?¡± ¡°They took in too much Radiation, they died not even an hour after being exposed to it.¡± ¡°Poor bastards¡­ do you think they buried them in this arctic hell or set them to sea?¡± ¡°My bets they set them at sea, but I¡¯d much rather be buried at home than to be dropped into the sea or buried in this place.¡± The men laugh as they drink beers. Within just a month, the Expedition team manages to create a makeshift research center, it has a dome shape surrounding the strange object that is now called ¡®Orbis.¡¯ Within the center is the strange object with a door into the room It¡¯s contained, as well as windows above the door to watch. The research center itself Isn¡¯t very large, at most only being able to hold 40 people. As well as being completely dependent on shipments that come every month, they must conserve even the most basic items, like water. Despite this research continued, and the unusually high amount of radiation it emits was looked into, but none could explain it. As men begin to line up at the windows, the door underneath them opens, revealing two men in large yellow hazmat suits. ¡°Please move forward,¡± A man said on the intercom. The two men walk forward to Orbis, one of the men holds a bucket, a light yet a sturdy thing. ¡°Alright, William, please throw the bucket at Orbis." The man holding the bucket got into position and threw the bucket at it. The moment the bucket hit Orbis, a flash of light appeared and disappeared as quickly as it appeared. ¡°The hell just happened?¡± ¡°Did a flashbang just go off?¡± ¡°If it was one we¡¯d still be blind Idiot.¡± ¡°Alright, one of you check the other side to see if the bucket is there.¡± The other man that didn¡¯t throw the bucket checks the other side, but shakes his head, signaling it¡¯s not there. ¡°Did it disintegrate the bucket?¡± ¡°Perhaps it absorbed it?¡± While not much was found out, the Information they have gathered is certainly going to change how they approach it in the future. 0525PM MSK Time - May 7TH - 1969 - The Russian Far East - Unknown Soviet Base As the cold wind and snow of the Russian Far East hit them, Soviet soldiers are in guard positions around a research base with a dome-like shape. Then a Soviet car reaches the checkpoint in front of the gate to the base, the soldier in a small guard booth asks the driver to show his Identification. ¡°Hand over your Identification,¡± The Soviet soldier says. The man driving the car lowers his window and hands his Identification to the man. As he begins to read it, the soldier quickly hands it back and salutes. ¡°M-my apologies Sir! I did not expect someone like you would be driving!¡± The guard says as he opens the gate. The man in the car smirks and closes his window and drives into the base. Once the man has parked his car, he revealed himself, Yury Andropov, Head of the KGB. As he steps out of his car, two soldiers go up and salute and show him inside. As the soldiers escort him into the dome-like base and onto the second floor he finds a window into the main room of interest. The room was a large area with a strange hole in the middle emitting a purple hue color. It also seems like multiple people are in the room, wearing green hazmat suits while they conduct experiments. He soon takes his eyes away and follows the soldier into the observation deck, where Ismaylov Mili Yakovich, a man with blond hair and blue eyes, the man in Incharge of the research operation. ¡°Yakovich, It¡¯s so nice to see you again!¡± Andropov says as they both hug. ¡°Oh, and you look nice with an officer uniform on.¡± ¡°Well It¡¯s great to see you as well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re here to see my research?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the hole in the ground then yes, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Ah, well let¡¯s start the discussion, from what we¡¯ve gathered in the last 2 months is not much in quantity, but it is in quality.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t found much yet? The Party is wasting precious rubles on this project, and you¡¯ve barely found anything?!¡± ¡°You know me, my friend, I prefer quality over quantity, and the things we have found may be small but are very important.¡± ¡°From what we know It emits high radiation levels." "In fact, it¡¯s emitting so much it¡¯s what is powering this place.¡± ¡°So? There are Nuclear Power plants in places like Ukraine, what makes this any different?¡± ¡°Well, from what we know there¡¯s seem to be a force that has anything that goes above it to be sucked right in.¡± ¡°What? What the hell do you mean by that?¡± Yakovich points at the window showing the room, where a Soviet researcher throws a hammer to another on the other side of the hole. The moment the hammer passes over the hole, the hole sucks it in completely. ¡°The strange thing is there¡¯s no airflow coming from it, which means It¡¯s most likely using gravity as a way to ¡®suck¡¯ things in.¡± ¡°Yakovich, what you have shown me is very much Impressive, but, will it Impress the Party?¡± Andropov says before walking away. Yakovich stares blankly where Andropov was once standing, he clenches his hand and grits his teeth. ¡°The Premier¡­ I¡¯ll show that old bastard¡­!¡± He says whispering. Experimentation 0230 PM EST Time - May 8TH - 1969 - Washington D.C - White House For the past month or so the research team in Antarctica has brought nothing of interest nor much Information on project Orbis. Because the research team are members of the CIA, the Director of the CIA, Richard M. Helms, and President Nixion are discussing the lack of information from the research team. ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden lack of Information from Operation Orbis in Antarctica Helms? Even though I had you be directly In charge of the whole operation, your research team has barely found anything.¡± ¡°I understand Mr. President but given the situation and location, we must be patient. As well as the researchers have been restricted in what experimentation they can.¡± ¡°Yes I understand that, but a month has gone by and they haven¡¯t found anything new? If you¡¯re restricted by budget or anything else, I¡¯ll gladly assist, but I want progress first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best Mr. President,¡± Helms says as he walks out the room. 0400PM ERT Time - May 8TH - 1969 - Antarctica - U.S Research Base In his rather small room, sits the Head researcher, Thaddeus Burton, a British scientist that moved to the U.S after the Second World War. ¡°It has been a month since I¡¯ve been assigned here at this research base of Operation Orbis, and It¡¯s not been the most amazing month,¡± He says into a voice recorder. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve been put in charge by Mr. Helms, I fear this month I won¡¯t bring anything new as well, but luckily we¡¯ve finally been permitted to do experimentation on live animals.¡± He gets up from the chair and turns off the voice recorder and walks into the observation deck. ¡°Well, how¡¯s it going so far gentleman?¡± He says. ¡°It¡¯s going well so far sir, we¡¯re about to begin with the experimentation,¡± A man says as he presses a button. The door into the room where the Orbis is in opens and In steps a man holding a cage with a rabbit in it. As soon as he steps into the room, the door shuts. Putting the cage down the man opens it and grabs the rabbit and pulls it out of the cage. ¡°Alright Victor, this will be the first time using live animals, so try not to fail,¡± Burton says through the Intercom into the room. Victor proceeds to throw the rabbit at Orbis. Once the rabbit makes contact a brief flash of light appears. ¡°Another failed experiment huh¡­ guess I¡¯ll mark this as another failure¡­¡± ¡°S-sir, I may be wrong but, It seems to have gotten bigger¡­¡± As Burton turns from his notepad and looks back into the room, he can see it has gotten a bit bigger. ¡°My! Finally, something of Interest!¡± Burton turns away back to his notepad. ¡°I¡¯ll have to call Mr. Helms later today-¡± ¡°N-no, sir! It seems to be expanding!¡± As Burton turns back he can see that Orbis is expanding. As he watches as Orbis expands he can hear the ticking of a Geiger counter next to him getting louder. ¡°Its Radiation levels are Increasing drastically! We won¡¯t be able to contain it if it continues!¡± A man shouts. ¡°Forget that, get that man out of there!¡± Burton shouts. ¡°The door won¡¯t open, It¡¯s malfunctioning!¡± A man says as he rapidly presses a button. ¡°Just sound the alarm!¡± The sound of an alarm erupts throughout the base. Those that were watching or those doing something else slipped on hazmat suits Immediately. ¡°Radiation levels are Increasing, all available personnel get the door Into the Orbis room open and get that man free!¡± Burton says over the intercom. A man runs up to the door with nothing more but a crowbar in hand and begins to lodge it between the doors. Even though realistically, this won¡¯t work, others quickly came to help him. As they all attempted to force the door open, It opened just slightly to see inside the room. Victor, who¡¯s frantically freaking out, attempts to lodge his hand In between the open space. Then, a bright light appeared from the room blinding everyone, even those from the observation deck became blind for a moment. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Once they could see again the door opens, revealing an empty room. ¡°T-the Orbis¡­ It''s gone¡­ and so is¡­ Oh, God¡­¡± Burton slumps back onto his chair while holding a hand to his forehead, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to retire¡­¡± Time - Unknown Date - Unkown Location - Unkown On a forest floor In who knows where lies Victor, still in a hazmat suit. As he lays on the forest floor unconscious, a rabbit lays beside his head. Then suddenly he wakes up, startling the rabbit causing it to run away when he sits up. Victor looks around paranoid. ¡°W-what in the hell, where the fuck am I!?¡± He looks at his surroundings, large trees that tower over him, dozens of feet tall, small dirt hills surround him, strange fauna he¡¯s never seen before. He backs away looking at his surroundings, but he soon trips over something. Once he stands up he looks at what he tripped over, he had tripped over a bucket. He looks around and calms himself down, ¡°Well, this place doesn¡¯t look like anywhere I¡¯ve seen.¡± ¡°Alright, cmon Victor, you¡¯ve gone through hell in Vietnam, you can do this.¡± He takes off the top of the hazmat suit and ties the sleeves around his waist. As Victor begins to move around the strange forest, he finds a rough-looking path. The path has some old wooden fence on the side of it. It¡¯s an old stone pathway, it has patches of grass emerging between each stone. He looks at the pathway, unsure which way to go. He takes out a compass from his shirt pocket, as he opens it but It¡¯s not working as the arrow is randomly spinning around In a circle. He closes the compass and puts it back into his shirt pocket. ¡°Shit, well, I guess I¡¯ll have to go off my gut.¡± He looks at the path for a moment, before going what he presumes Is west. As he walks down the path, he hears a strange noise ahead. Despite him thinking not much of it, he felt uneasy and hides behind a bush waiting for whatever is making the noise to pass. Then suddenly, a horse whips past him with a man riding it. Once the horse and the rider are out of view, he steps up from the bush and continues down the path. He continues on the path, but spots smoke nearby. As he runs to the source of the smoke, he thinks to himself. ¡°Maybe I can contact someone from the Army If those folks have a phone!¡± As he runs through the thick forest of trees and bushes to where he sees the smoke, he stops himself as he makes it to a clearing of a cliff. He looks at the site where the smoke comes from, multiple homes with chimneys as smokes arise from each one. Each house had strange architecture with each looking to be from the Medieval period. All the houses surround a large fountain in the middle, where he can see multiple people dancing, drinking, and singing. ¡°Shit, am I even on Earth? Maybe the past?¡± He walks away from the cliff, Instead, he¡¯s going to find another way to this small Village. As he walks down the forest again, he sneezes and puts on the top of his hazmat suit as a way to stop his allergies from the pollen coming off the trees. Once he puts the head part of the hazmat suit back on, he continues on his way. He walks amongst the trees and large flora, he finds a father, his son, and a dog. The man hides behind a rock as the father seems to be teaching his son how to use a sword. As the man talks to his son, Victor can¡¯t understand what he¡¯s saying. ¡°Even though I¡¯m a member of the CIA, I don¡¯t even know what language they¡¯re talking in¡­¡± He thinks to himself. He tries to adjust himself to get into a better position, but he hears something behind him as he¡¯s doing it. When he turned his head and sees the dog that must belong to the father and son. The dog Is growling fiercely, he tries to get it to go away but to no avail. The moment the dog starts to bark at him, he runs away, catching the attention of the father and son, and the father begins to run after him. ¡°Shit, I should have just gotten rid of this damn suit, I can barely run and see In this damn thing!¡± As Victor runs through the forest, the man follows closely behind, shouting at him In an unknown language. But, as he runs he trips on a rock and falls down a steep hill. After a while of falling, he lays on the ground exhausted and slightly hurt. The man comes from nowhere and holds the blade of the sword to his throat. Victor keeps his hands up as the blade nears his neck. The man seems to shout something at him, but Victor still doesn¡¯t understand him. Quickly examining his surroundings, Victor kicks the man¡¯s foot, causing him to fall, allowing Victor to rise to his feet. Before the man could get on his feet properly, Victor upper cut him, before hitting him again with his other fist, causing the man to fall onto the ground, seemingly unconscious. As Victor catches his breath, he hears a child¡¯s voice near, presumably the son of the man of which he just punched In the face twice, and begins to run away. Once he makes it to an area he believes is safe, he takes off the hazmat suit and throws it onto the ground. ¡°Damn it, what the fuck was that guy¡¯s problem! And why did he have a sword? Forget it¡­ I just need to find somewhere to rest¡­ and hide¡­¡± 0800PM EST Time - May 9TH - 1969 - Washington D.C - White House ¡°You¡¯re telling me the entire research team doesn¡¯t know what the hell happened!?¡± Nixon shouts at Helms. ¡°Well, It happened so suddenly many of the researchers still haven¡¯t comprehended what had happened.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me a man and Orbis just disappeared like that! And not a single person saw what happened!?¡± ¡±Well Mr. President, you didn¡¯t let me finish. Even though Operation Orbis has failed, something In West Virginia might interest you.¡± ¡°Really? Well, let¡¯s hope It¡¯s better than the shit show report from Antarctica.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d explain it to you, but I feel It would be better to rather show you In person.¡± After an hour of flight and reaching West Virginia, Nixion and Helms are escorted to a large open field. Once they arrived, hundreds of military vehicles and thousands of military personal surround the large clearing. Nixon and Helms walk towards where the center of activity is. As they both pass by a truck, they see what¡¯s all the commotion is, a large swirling disk, similar to Orbis, but at a far large scale. ¡°What In God¡¯s name am I looking at¡­.?¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t sure ourselves, but someone had called the police last night after spotting a strange light. When the police investigated the area that was reported, they found this. But how long It¡¯s been here Is still unknown.¡± ¡°Do you know how large It is?¡± ¡°It was noted being 40 feet in width, and 20 in height, It¡¯s over 5 times larger than one In Antarctica.¡± Nixon left speechless by the site, simply took a cigar from his pocket, and began smoking. Helms just looked at him wanting to say something but stopped himself and simply sighed. New World 1125AM MSK Time - May 10TH - 1969 - Moscow - Kremlin ¡°What¡¯s with this lack of information gathered! I am spending money on this project, yet you¡¯ve found nothing new for nearly two months!¡± Leonid Brezhnev, the current leader of the USSR, shouts at Yakovich. ¡°Well, I have been restricted by others in the party from conducting my research further, if perhaps I receive more funding and I am not-¡± Yakovich says before he¡¯s cut off. ¡°Alright, just shut it! I¡¯ll permit you to use animals, humans, anything for your experiments! But you have a week to give me some sort of new information, or you and your research will be finished!¡± Yakovich, not knowing what to say, simply left and returned to the hotel he¡¯s currently residing in. When he returns to his hotel room and places down his hat on a stand. In a fit of rage, he grabs the stand where he just put his hat on and threw it across the room. Anger gripped him as he trashes his room, he couldn¡¯t believe what he was told. ¡°That old shit! I¡¯ll fucking show him progress If he wants progress!¡± He thinks to himself. He wanted to shout, but he couldn¡¯t do that. Every room Is rigged to listen to each occupant, so If he does shout what he¡¯s thinking, he''ll certainly be arrested. He looks around the largely trashed room he¡¯s created, he simply picks up his hat from the floor, cleans it, and puts it on. He then goes to the part of the room that was still relatively safe from his fit of rage and begins to dial someone on a phone. 0100PM MSK Time - May 10TH - 1969 - The Russian Far East - Soviet Research Base A helicopter, or more specifically a Mil Mi-10, flies over the base before landing on a helicopter pad. Once It lands Yakovich steps out and Immediately steps Into the base. He reaches the observation deck where a dozen scientists are currently observing Experminatations. ¡°Well Gentlemen, how¡¯s It going so far?¡± Yakovich says as he grabs onto one of the men¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Ah, well It¡¯s been going down the shitter sir, but do you have good news?¡± ¡°Well, we have no restrictions on what we can do, but we have a week to bring some new information or we''ll be out of a job if you know what I mean.¡± The men all froze for a second, before continuing what they were doing. Now that they have no restrictions on what they can do, they can now use humans on the large hole they now call ''Foraminis''. Some men stepped Into the room with hazmat suits. Each of them was hesitant, none of them wanted to approach Formaninis after being told what they needed to do. One man stepped closer to It as another clipped a large rope onto the back of his suit and tied the end of the rope on a hook embedded on the wall. The two men hold onto part of the rope as the other man slowly walks up to Foraminis. Yacovich watches the man, and soon grows Inpatient, and yells at the man to hurry it up. In response, the man walks faster, but not by very much. The man soon only stands a few inches away from Formaninis, he turns around and looks at the other two holding onto the rope, they both give him a thumbs up. Surprisingly, the thumbs up from them must have given him some encouragement because he proceeds to jump down Formaninis. But, due to Formaninis¡¯ proportions on gravity, the rope immediately begins to burn the two men¡¯s hands as it goes down Formaninis, causing them to let go of the rope. The rope continues to reduce in length, until it finally stops, possibly just a few short feet before depleting completely. The researchers and Yakovick in the observation deck were rather confused about what just happened. Yakovich, thinking that it has failed, simply sighed and proceeded to leave the observation room. But before he could leave he heard gasps from the men, as a result, he came back to the observation deck. Once making it back and looking into the room, he could see that man that had gone down Formaninis back while the other two men drag him away from it. With this site, a grin appeared on Yakovich¡¯s face. 0730AM NW Time - Third Spring Rise, Sixteenth day - 0789 - Infirmi Kingdom - Great Plains The sun rises over the horizon, as the warm sun hits the grassy plains. On a rough, rigid dirt road, a horse walks down it, with Its rider on its back, a knight. The knight Is adorned in heavy metal armor, fitted with a sword and shield by his side. As his horse walks down the dirt road, the knight can see the outlines of a small village. He pats the side of the horse, causing it to start going faster towards the village. Upon racing to the outskirts of the village, the knight dismounts from his horse and approaches the guard at the front of the village. He proceeds to take off his helmet, revealing short blonde hair, and a germanic face. ¡°Well look who it is, the fat bastard Octavius! Here you are guarding a village, and just a year ago you were boasting how you¡¯ll be the King¡¯s guard!¡± The knight says as he approaches the guard. Octavius, a friend of the young blonde haired man gained the nickname, due to his large stature, and overweight body. Behind the mix of leather, and chainmail he wore as armor, was a man well into his thirties, with long, blonde and brown hair, a short beard that matches the color of his hair, his eyes blue, and his face, complete with scars. ¡°Well, don¡¯t blame me, blame my commanding officer, plus aren¡¯t you a mail boy now, Coltone?¡± ¡°Ha! Well, at least I¡¯m not stuck here guarding a village for a year! So, how have you been as of recent?¡± ¡°Well, nothing too crazy, other than chasing dogs with stolen food, and occasional troublemakers, not much. But I¡¯ve heard that more Aulid¡¯s have been showing up more frequently.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Wait, what? I thought there¡¯s no one at war right now, so why would they be showing up?¡± ¡°No one¡¯s sure, heck no one¡¯s even sure what they even are, they¡¯re like a disk In the air, and if you get too close you¡¯ll mysteriously die.¡± They both continue talking, but a sudden group of children Interrupts them. ¡°You lot again? Geez, children are a troublesome bunch,¡± Octavius says as he kneels beside the children. He outstretches his hand, and out of thin air, a small bright flame appears. The flame proceeds to fly around the children before flying off and the children run after it. ¡°You can use magic now? Never would have thought you had the patience to learn such a thing.¡± ¡°Well It¡¯s basic, can¡¯t harm anyone, and an old man coming through one day taught me, he was quite the pleasant fellow.¡± ¡°Ha! Do you think the King will even allow us to use magic one day?¡± ¡°I doubt it, magic can only be used by the Royal Family, and those who the King chooses personally, hell, If a royal knight finds out I can do that I¡¯ll be hanged.¡± ¡°Damn, well, I should get going, being a messenger for my lord is a busy business.¡± ¡°Well good luck and you mind investigating those Aulid¡¯s for me? I¡¯d do it myself, but I can¡¯t leave my post.¡± Coltone simply nods and he and Octavius hug, before Coltone puts back on his helmet and gets back on his horse. He then rides out once again Into the vast great plains. 0210 NW Time - Third Spring Rise, Twentieth day - 0789 - Infirmi Kingdom - Miserabilis Region Coltone runs Into the City of Infirum controlled by the local lord. Upon reaching the gate of the city, he hopped from his horse and headed Inside holding his horse¡¯s reins as he walks In the city. Upon reaching Lord¡¯s manor, he leaves his horse at a stable and enters the manor. He walks through the heavily decorated hallways of the manor as servants walk around, doing their jobs. Upon reaching the Lord¡¯s office door, he leaves his sword to a guard beside the door and enters. ¡°My lord, I¡¯ve come back from the small Village of Tarot, and I¡¯ve received the letter from their elder as you requested.¡± The Lord, Winifred Elsmere, looks up from his paper and takes the letter from Coltone¡¯s hand, revealing a 30 -year-old man with sleek black hair, wearing glasses. ¡°Thank you Coltone, since you¡¯re here do you mind doing me a favor?¡± ¡°Of course my Lord, what do you wish for me to do?¡± ¡°A week ago, I sent a knight to Investigate the woods nearby after people had reported seeing strange figures. But he still hasn¡¯t returned even after a week of being gone, and I fear he may be dead. I want you to go Into the woods, and if you find his body, there should be a pendant around his neck, take it and bring it back for me, I¡¯d like to give it back to his family.¡± With this, Coltone saluted by bowing. ¡°It shall be done, my Lord.¡± Coltone leaves the room and retrieves his sword from the guard. He soon gets back onto his horse, before riding off Into the nearby forest. After some hours of riding his horse, he reaches the border that separates the Grassy plain fields of the Miserabilis Region and the dark woods. He ties his horse to a small tree, the reason is that the terrain in the woods is too rough for a horse to walk, and the trees are large and all bunched up, making it too narrow for a horse to go through. He walks down the narrow and dark woods. ¡°Well, I can certainly see why the locals call this place the ¡®Dark Forest.¡¯ Due to the large trees all bundled up close together, it makes light from the sun nearly Impossible to reach the forest floor." As he walks down the narrow pathways of the forest, he finds a body, and upon further inspection, it is the knight Elsmere had sent. He grabbed the pendant from his neck but checked his body to see how he had died. ¡°Strange¡­ no slashes on the body, no obvious bashes on his body¡­ wait, what¡¯s this strange hole on his body¡­¡± He had found a strange hole where his heart is located, a clean hole too, something an arrow couldn¡¯t do, and It¡¯s too small for a dagger to have done it. As he stands preparing to leave, he spots another body nearby. ¡°Well, it seems that another unfortunate soul is also here¡­¡± As he examined the man, he realized he doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s from the Infirmi Kingdom. His clothing as well confused him, rather than the average heavy Iron armor many wear, he¡¯s wearing a strange cloth he¡¯s never seen before. The gear he wears resembles much of the natural color of the fauna of the woods, and he seems to wear a blue and white shirt, along with a red hat on his head. As he examines the strange man¡¯s corpse, he finds a strange item beside his hand. It looks extremely strange to him, he¡¯s not even sure what it even closely resembles. ¡°It seems to have a pulley system, similar to a crossbow, but I¡¯ve never seen something like this.¡± He picks up the strange item from the ground, and accidentally triggers the pulley system, causing a loud boom to come from it and causing him to fall back onto the ground. As he just recollects what had just happened, he can see a bit of smoke coming from a tree In front of him. Upon closer inspection, he can see a small clean hole, similar to the one on the body of the Knight. ¡°Perhaps an altercation¡­? If so, who the hell is this man?¡± He goes back to the strange man¡¯s body, before finding a pendant on his neck, a red hammer, and a sickle. ¡°Hammer and sickle, a strange combination to put on a pendant¡­¡± As he examines the pendant, he hears footsteps behind him, as he turns around he can see a group of goblins slowly approaching him. They are ugly as you imagine, being only as tall as a human child, with dark green skin, a large nose, pointy ears, large heads, and a grotesque face, they are often described as the most disgusting creatures in existence. ¡°Never did I think I¡¯d see monsters here, but I suppose I should have expected that,¡± He says as he pulls out his sword and shield. ¡°But I shall cut you apart in the name of the Gods!¡± The goblins begin to charge him with nothing more than simple clubs. One jumps from a tree preparing to bash Coltone with a club, but he easily blocks it with his shield and pushes the goblin away. Another attempt to attack him from behind, but he swiftly slashes its head off his sword before stabbing another in the head. After killing the handful of goblins, he soon walks out of the first, and back onto his horse. 1125 NW Time - Third Spring Rise, Twentieth day - 0789 - Infirmi Kingdom - Miserabilis Region As Coltone rides back to the city on the rough dirt road, he soon sees something in the air. He looks into the sky and sees pillars of smoke rising from where the city is. Without hesitation, he had his horse rapidly run to the gate of the city. Upon reaching the city gates the color of red and the heat of fire engulf around him as he rides into the city. ¡°Quickly my stead, I need to get to the Lord¡¯s manor!¡± He says as he pats the side of the horse. The horse whips past destroyed homes, and corpses of dead civilians. Upon reaching the Lord¡¯s manor, he sees one half engulfed in flame and parts of it destroyed. Coltone dismounts his stead and runs into the manor, ignoring the various corpses of maids and servants. Upon reaching the office room, he couldn¡¯t find the Lord anywhere but found papers detailing something, but before he could read the papers, he heard men shouting in an unknown language. Coltone grabs the papers and runs out of the room and down the same path he came from. As he runs down the hallway, he hears two people behind him, before he could even look back, large booms and soon cracks erupt in the hallway. Once it stops he looks back while he continues to run, and sees two men wearing similar outfits to the strange body he had found earlier, holding strange objects. Before he knew it, flashes of light emerge from the strange objects, and he feels a sudden pain in his left arm. When he looks down at the part of his arm not covered by his armor, he can see a hole in it with blood oozing out. He then finds a destroyed wall at a corner and he hears even more shouting from the opposite hallway. With no choice, he jumps into a large bush, that sadly doesn''t break his fall all the way, and shatters a bone in his left leg. Upon limping back on his horse, he gets on and rides back to the city gates. As he rides to the gate, he comes across a strange large metal-looking box, with a pole in the front. He soon rides away from the strange thing, but it gives chase. Before he¡¯s able to even wonder what it is, he sees a ball of fire erupt from the pole, and an explosion rocked his body as a home nearby exploded, and the sudden explosion nearly caused him to fall off his horse, but he managed to stay on. For a moment, he saw a star, with a hammer and sickle in the star on the side of the moving metal box, similar to the pendant he had found earlier. Despite the situation looking grim, he manages to escape the strange thing and out into the grassy plains, leaving with fear, confusion, questions, an unusable left leg, an unusable left arm, and with nothing more than his life. Fort Nixon 1020AM EST Time - May 27TH - 1969 - Washington D.C - White House A meeting is currently going on between the President and his most trusted advisors, those such as Helms, Haldeman, Agnew, and laird. ¡°From what I can see from this report, this ¡®portal¡¯ as reported in West Virginia is a gate to another world?¡± Nixon asks Helms. ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s been reported Mr. President, though we haven¡¯t sent anyone past it though for safety reasons. But, we have sent a small rover through with a camera attached to it. Originally it was an experimental rover that was a prototype used by NASA for experimental uses. But NASA handed it over to the CIA to see what¡¯s on the other side, so now we have some photos on the other side.¡± Helms says. Helms proceeds to turn on a projector, and multiple photos of a lush green jungle appear on a wall. ¡°How can we even be sure this isn¡¯t somewhere in Central or South America, plus this Another World seems more like the CIA trying to cover something up,¡± Vice President Kissinger says. ¡°Now, I understand it might sound like something in the realm of fiction, but we cannot out rule the possibility. Now, I want to know more of this¡­ Super Orbis... in West Virginia,¡± Nixon says. ¡°Ah, well, what our researchers say it gives off next to none radiation, which is opposite to the one that was in Antarctica. But, what I¡¯m more interested in is the untapped natural resources in this New World. Just think about the amount of Oil that could just be sitting there, not to mention things such as uranium or other such things.¡± Helms says. ¡°While that''s extremely promising, but what about things such as disease or unknown viruses we can bring back by accident, I¡¯m sure none of us want to go through an epidemic,¡± Laird says. ¡°Well we¡¯ll just have to proceed with the utmost caution, I don¡¯t see anything wrong with this, hell, we might gain a tremendous advantage over the Soviets if we start to take resources from this New World,¡± Nixon says. ¡°But, we¡¯ll have to go through Congress for that Mr. President, and I honestly don¡¯t think that the Democrats would agree with you,¡± Kissinger says. ¡°Well, who says we¡¯ll need approval from Congress, as long as we do it in secrecy, no one will ever find out,¡± Nixon says. Everyone stared at him for a second, while they know the advantages, but to bypass Congress for such a thing doesn¡¯t sit well for them. ¡°But Mr. President, I understand the possibilities, but to just not even talk to Congress about such a thing is just foolhardy,¡± Helms says. Before Helms could say more, H. R. Haldeman, the Chief of Staff, interrupts him. ¡°And who says we can¡¯t? The number of possibilities that can happen, new technology that could be possible, not to mention the tremendous advantage over the Soviets. If the Democrats in Congress and even other Republicans are gonna oppose us, then we won¡¯t go through Congress! Let me ask you the question: do you want the Soviets to discover this before we even have the opportunity to begin operations?! Mr. President, I do not believe going through Congress is a good idea, and if such a thing were to leak to the Soviets, we could lose the advantage! Now, gentlemen in this room, do you want to live in a world dominated by the Soviets! If not, then let¡¯s bypass Congress and gain an advantage over them!¡± Everyone else in the room stayed quiet and seems to believe what he has said Including President Nixon. Helms though knows better, Haldeman ever since becoming Chief of Staff has always been a crazy Nixon fanatic. Helms knows full well what he¡¯s saying is only to influence the others in the room to bypass congress, but he doesn¡¯t know what to say to oppose Haldeman. ¡°Well then, I suppose I shall take my leave,¡± Helms says as he grabs the photos from the desk and the projector. As Helms walks down the hallway of the White House, he tears the photos up and leaves the scraps of the destroyed photos on the floor. 0100PM EST Time - May 29TH - 1969 - West Virginia - ¡®Super Orbis¡¯ Large numbers of trucks and troops enter a walled-off area of a grassy plain field in West Virginia. Each truck carries cargo, construction vehicles, and some are even carrying things such as tanks, helicopters, heavy vehicles, and even carrying Jets. Due to the secrecy of this operation, the trucks and their escorts were not allowed to use any public roads to not raise suspicion that the military was strangely gathering up in West Virginia. As such, it took 2 days for everything to arrive. As the trucks and their escorts finally made it past the rough dirt roads of West Virginia and entered the base, where large fences surround the area for over 20 Miles with guard towers only 20 feet from each other. But, due to how hastily the base was built, some things still weren¡¯t implemented, such as hangers to keep the newly brought in jets and tanks, helicopters, and other heavy vehicles, as a result, they had to be kept on the trucks that drove them in. But the base itself wasn¡¯t meant to be something large, only a standing point where the real base is to be built in the New World. In a small building where soldiers and members of the CIA walk in and out of, Thaddeus Burton sits in an office, who¡¯s In charge of operations in terms of keeping track of things coming into the base. ¡°4 Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter¡¯s, 4 McDonnell Douglas Phantom II, 2 A-10 Warthog¡¯s, 6 M551 Sheridan Tanks, and 10 M48 Pattons. Suppose these will do, but I can¡¯t imagine there would be much resistance on the other side,¡± Burton thinks. ¡°Well, if there¡¯s any sort of intelligent life on the other side. But the 1st Armored Division is assisting us, so I shouldn''t be thinking of such things." As Burton looks away from the paper and out the window and looks at the gate, he watches as truck after truck comes in with supplies and building material, with escort vehicles in between every so often. As the last truck enters the base, the gate closes, and a man walks into Burton¡¯s office. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s the last truck?¡± Burton asks the man. ¡°Yes sir, we¡¯ve already been given the green light from D.C, on your command Operation ¡°Columbus¡± shall begin.¡± Burton scratches his head. ¡°Alright, I suppose we should begin.¡± Dozens of trucks begin to enter the Super Orbis, one minute after another to prevent a clog up on the other side. As the trucks and troop transports go through it and to the jungle on the other side, they are left in awe. Many of the men have been to the jungles of Vietnam and the Amazon jungle in South America, but the trees and fauna are far larger than anything they¡¯ve seen on Earth. Trees that tower over the landscape looking to be over 100¡¯s of feet tall, strange flowers, and other such things litter the jungle floor. The truck¡¯s main destination is a mile away due to the rough and rugged area the Super Orbis is at, but there¡¯s a flat area only a mile away from where the jungle ends. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Alright, remember to keep your guard up, we¡¯re not here for vacation, we¡¯re here for a mission,¡± A Second Lieutenant says to his men in a troop transport truck. ¡°The Second Lieutenant¡¯s right, once we arrive we¡¯re gonna be scouting around the area, anyone found having fun here is gonna get some hellish training,¡± A First Lieutenant says. As the troop transport trucks and the trucks reach their destination, hundreds of men begin to outline the space where the future base ¡®Fort Nixon¡¯ will be built. Originally, soldiers would have built the fort, but it was decided that they instead formed a contract with a construction company. To prevent civilians from leaking information, each worker was handpicked by the CIA and blindfolded and had headphones put on them so they couldn¡¯t hear anything, and they would only be taken off once they reached the site. They would also not be allowed to return home until Fort Nixon is built and an extra month after, where the process will begin again. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re all gonna be splitting into Platoons so form up with your commanding officer!¡± A Major shouts. 2000 U.S.Army soldiers were brought along for this secret operation, there would have been more, but fear of soldiers accidentally leaking or being spies, two thousand was the number chosen by Nixon. Platoons began to form, and many were used to either patrol the area within a 5-mile radius, or others began to scout the area within a 15-mile radius. There were approximately 20 platoons tasked to scout the area within a 15-mile radius, while there were 9 tasked to patrol the area within the 5-mile radius, altogether making up around 1,260 troops. Unfortunately, support vehicles such as tanks and jeeps couldn¡¯t be used due to limited fuel and for them to be used for emergencies only, the fuel that was brought needing to be used for the construction vehicles, and the surrounding area being too tough and rigid even for troop transports to properly traverse, unlike the smoother path they used to get to the future fort site. Tents began to spring up around the flat area, as well as radio towers to communicate with the platoons. Platoon team 2 is currently North East of the area where Fort Nixon is to be built, the current commander of Platoon 2, Sam Brigham, a man in his late 40¡¯s, is a hardened veteran of Vietnam, as such is wary of the thick jungle setting him and his platoon find themselves in. However, many of the men he leads either never were stationed in Vietnam or were there for only a few weeks or months. As a result, many of them aren¡¯t taking the mission seriously and talking amongst themselves, or just not showing much interest at all. ¡°Yankee Doodle went to town A-riding on a pony, Stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni! Fath''r and I went down to camp, Along with Captain Gooding, And there we saw the men and boys As thick as hasty pudding. Yankee Doodle keep it up, Yankee Doodle dandy, Mind the music and the step, And with the girls be handy!¡± Yankee Doodle, some of the men were singing it as they walked, it had some nostalgia to Brigham and his friends would sing it when he was younger when he was in Middle School. But, he couldn¡¯t feel a bit agitated as well, he who had seen the horrors of jungle warfare and wanted to keep quiet, couldn¡¯t believe they were just singing into the air. What¡¯s worse, as they continued to sing more and more men joined them, even some of the sergeants in the platoon joined in. As they all walk down the thick jungle, Brigham felt an uneasy feeling in the air. He had ignored it earlier, but he can feel the uneasy feeling getting thicker. He stopped in place, his time in Vietnam had him wary of surroundings, and to listen to his gut. He only stopped for a few seconds, but the rest of the platoon also stopped in place and had stopped singing. ¡°Is there something wrong sir?¡± A man asks him. ¡°Someone is watching us, at least, that¡¯s what my time in Vietnam tells me. M16¡¯s on full auto.¡± Brigham says as he brings up his M16. The rest of the platoon holds up their M16¡¯s and a small click is the only noise that fills the air as they all switch to full auto. The singing had stopped, and each man was slowly walking forward, careful not to make too much noise. Brigham kept his eyes on the trees, a habit he¡¯s gained due to the time he¡¯s been in the jungles of Vietnam. As the platoon marches further with their guns up and guards up, Brigham suddenly sees a humanoid shape disappear in the trees. He nearly pushes the trigger, but he manages to stop himself, but one of his sergeants comes up to him. ¡°Sir, are you okay?¡± ¡°Get me the radio.¡± A man wearing a AN/PRC-77 Portable Transceiver on his back walks up and Brigham starts to use it. ¡°Comand, this is Sam Brigham of platoon 2, I believe to have seen something strange in the trees, humanoid in shape. Over.¡± A minute later there was a response. ¡°Platoon 2 leader, this is Comand. Platoons 1 and 3 are coming to your location. Please stay in your current location until they arrive. Over.¡± With that Brigham walks away from the portable radio. ¡°Alright, guard up, and prepare to engage possible hostile forces,¡± Brigham says to his platoon. The men ready their M16s with some unsure what to do, ¡°This is just like Vietnam, but I gotta keep my composure in check¡­ if who, or whatever I saw was hostile, I can''t let these men die,¡± Brigham thinks to himself. ¡°Sir, some of our men have just now reported seeing unkn-,¡± Just before the Sergeant can finish an arrow strikes his neck killing the man instantly. Brigham looks to where the arrow came from and sees multiple humanoid figures in the trees. He immediately begins to fire his M16 at them. This, in turn, results in the other men doing the same. Many of the men are shot with arrows, and many others quickly get to cover. Brigham now in cover grabs the portable radio off the back of one of the dead men. ¡°COMMAND, THIS IS PLATOON LEADER 2, WE ARE CURRENTLY ENGAGED WITH UNKNOWN HUMANOID HOSTILES IN THE TREES! CASUALTIES UNKNOWN! WE NEED BACKUP!¡± ¡°Platoons 1 and 3 are en route to your location! Hold out as long as possible until reinforcements arrive!¡± At the temporary large tent where Command was at, panic started to emerge. Platoon 2¡¯s sudden radio transmission of unknown humanoid hostiles had many question if there was any intelligent life here, many believed they were Soviets. Regardless, platoons 1 and 3 were ordered to quickly make it to platoon 2¡¯s location. Once the report of a sudden ambush on platoon 2 by sudden humanoid hostiles reaches Burton, he panics. ¡°How far away are platoons 1 and 3 to platoon 2?!¡± ¡°Only five minutes sir, but it could be even longer if they come across any obstacles on their way!¡± ¡°Then get all available troops on base on to the troop transports to assist platoon 2 quickly!¡± Approximately 240 soldiers on a dozen troop transport trucks begin to make their way into the jungle where platoon 2 is currently at. While they weren¡¯t necessary as platoon 1 and 3 were already on their way to platoon 2, Burton doesn¡¯t wish for the entirety of platoon 2 to be wiped out in fear that the operation might be canned, and he doesn¡¯t want to think what will happen to him if that happens. But, due to the ragged terrain of the jungle, it could take twice as long for them to arrive compared to platoons 1 and 3. Platoon 2¡¯s situation was grim, Brigham counted at least a dozen or more bodies with arrows in them as he hides behind cover, and at least even more injured. But, he¡¯s counted at least half a dozen dead enemies on the ground. ¡°Shit, how fucking long until reinforcements arrive!?¡± A man shouts. ¡°Just hold on for a few more minutes!¡± As Brigham peeks from his cover and where the unknown hostiles are, an arrow pierces into his shoulder. Fortunately, a medic was right beside him, and he immediately begins work on Brigham¡¯s shoulder. As Brigham¡¯s shoulder was being patched up, platoons 1 and 3 suddenly arrived, as well as troop transports. As the platoon 1 and 3 began to reinforce platoon 2, the unknown hostels soon disappear into the trees. As men began to pile up the dead bodies of their comrades, and many more began to be treated for injuries, Brigham slowly walked up to one of the bodies he had seen fall from the trees. ¡°Point ears, blonde hair, the face looks a bit weird too¡­ the hell is this¡­¡± Brigham says as he investigates the dead body of a man. ¡°Where¡¯s the commander of platoon 2?¡± A voice says behind him. When Brigham turns around, he can see the commander of platoon 1, Marvine Irvin, talking to the medic who just fixed his arm up. ¡°Oi, I¡¯m right here, are you blind or something?¡± ¡°Oh, and the hell happened to your shoulder?¡± ¡°Oh nothing much, an arrow got shot into my shoulder but this medic here fixed me up.¡± ¡°Wait, an arrow? These guys weren¡¯t using guns?¡± ¡°Nope, and have you seen them, they got some pointy ears too.¡± Both Brigham and Irvin looked at the bodies now piled up, at least 10 dead bodies of the unknown hostiles. ¡°Talk about weird-looking, maybe their another homo species, you know, like the Neanderthals,¡¯ Ivrin says. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in that type of stuff, I¡¯m a religious man.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, they look human, but their face structure looks off, and not to mention the ears. Maybe we should take one of these bodies back for the lab or something.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll let you deal with that, now, if you excuse me, I¡¯m probably gonna get yelled at by my superiors,¡± Brigham says as he walks away. Possible Friendship? 1240 AM NW Time - Third Spring Rise - Thirtieth Day - 0789 - Linga Forest City - Dryadalis Kingdom A forest, or rather, the Dryadalis Forest, where the capital of the elven nation is located. A city in the trees that tower hundreds of feet tall. Houses interconnected by bridges, as well as other areas, connecting the city in the trees. Due to the city¡¯s special circumstances, It¡¯s called Linga Forest City, named after an ancient tree that was said to be blessed after the Gods. It was said that the city was formed tens of thousands of years ago by ancient elves by using magic to manipulate the surrounding trees, causing them to grow massively in size. Because of this tale, elves are highly often regarded as masters in magic. So why is the King, Tordynnar Chaeven the III, receiving a report of the scouting team meant to deter the humans away from the city and come back with less than 1/4th of what they left with? ¡°What do you mean the team was nearly wiped out?! Is my son alright?!¡± ¡°I am here Father, I can assure you that I¡¯m fine,¡± His son, Andrathath says as he walks into the room. ¡°Oh thank the Gods that you¡¯re okay!¡± The King says. At this site, the King¡¯s advisor simply left the room, letting them have a moment together. ¡°Yes, I am rather lucky I had a teleportation scroll to return, but, I wish many more would have returned home¡­¡± ¡°Yes, well, let¡¯s not discuss such depressing matters right now, I¡¯ll be holding a meeting later today with the council regarding the humans that suddenly appeared in the east.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll come back later once the meeting starts.¡± 0230 PM NW Time - Third Spring Rise - Thirtieth Day - 0789 - Linga Forest City - Dryadalis Kingdom The meeting regarding the sudden appearance of humans in the eastern part of the nation commences. Many of the high-end nobles are in this meeting, as well as those in high-end positions in the government, such as the Minister of Finance, Filarion Dordithas, and Minister of Defense, Silvyr Thepeiros. As usual, the meeting is as intense, elves in of themselves are prideful, so when this sudden report that humans had managed to defeat elves in the east, it would obviously spark up a tense debate. ¡°Did they perhaps come from one of the eastern human nations?!¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be possible, we¡¯re an entire ocean away from them and we would have seen boats come in at least a day in advance!¡± ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s the ones to the south?!¡± ¡°The Southern border between them is too heavily guarded for them to sneak past, and why bother to go to the east if they could just go through the south!?¡± ¡°All of you shut it! It¡¯s such a disappointment to see elves scream at each other!¡± A sudden voice shouts. A tall man with blonde hair and green eyes, wearing silver and golden armor steps into the room, Tordynnar Chaeven the IV, the crowned prince. ¡°Y-your highness! W-we didn¡¯t expect you to be here!¡± A noble says. ¡°Hmm, once I heard my Father was holding a meeting I had a feeling I should be here.¡± ¡°Yes, anyways, now that everyone here is quiet, and both of my sons are here, let¡¯s discuss the matter at hand civilly,¡± The King says. ¡°Now, Thepeiros, could you please say what we know so far.¡± ¡°Very well your majesty. Earlier today, a scouting team in the eastern region was doing their task as they do daily, with Prince Andrathath among them. However, he reported seeing a large group of human soldiers wearing strange clothing and holding strange weapons. The scouting team followed them for a short while, and there Prince Andrathath reported one of the scouts had accidentally fired an arrow into one of their necks.¡± ¡°Is that true little brother?¡± ¡°Yes, I attempted to contact Father with magic but I couldn¡¯t make contact, all I heard was a loud jumble noise that caused me annoyance, and I believe one of my men misinterpreted it as me being attacked by magic and fired the arrow. A-and please continue Sir Thepeiros.¡± ¡°Thank you, your highness. Upon firing at the humans, it was reported that loud booms emerged from their weapons, which in turn killed multiple men.¡± ¡°My, weapons that can kill a man with just sound?!¡± A man says. ¡°Don¡¯t be so stupid.¡± A man beside him says. ¡°While I may not know what it was, I did realize that it did have some characteristics to a crossbow rifle,¡± Andrathath says. ¡°That so¡­ for my hundreds of years of living, I have never seen something like that¡­ continue Thepeiros,¡± The King says. ¡°Well, the scouting team had killed at least half of the humans, until reinforcements arrived, as well as strange carriages, forcing them to retreat, and the prince used the teleportation scroll to return.¡± Discussion on what to do for a few hours until the meeting ended and everyone left. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Father, Brother, If I can may I speak with you both in private?¡± Tordynnar says. Once the three move to another location, they all begin to speak in private. ¡°No, I will not send you to confront these humans, Tordynnar!¡± ¡°But Father, what if we¡¯re able to establish diplomatic ties with them, and we were the aggressors, we must give some sort of apology!¡± ¡°Father, I understand your reasoning for not wanting brother to go, but you mustn¡¯t be so overprotective.¡± ¡°I understand but¡­ I simply do not wish for more of my family¡­¡± ¡°Father, Mother has been dead for quite some time, you mustn¡¯t let the past dictate your future decisions.¡± ¡°Alright¡­. You¡¯re right, I suppose apologizing to these humans is the correct choice, I¡¯ll leave you to decide what to do next.¡± With this, Tordynnar leaves the room, but Andrathath follows him. ¡°You might need this if you¡¯ll be heading over to the eastern region Brother,¡± Andrathath says as he hands him a teleportation scroll. ¡°I don¡¯t need such a thing, if I am forced to fight, I shall fight with honor.¡± ¡°But, it¡¯ll take at least 3 weeks to reach the eastern region! But just take this just in case!¡± ¡°Brother, I promise that I¡¯ll return safely.¡± 1000AM NW Time - June 11 - 1969 - New World - Fort Nixon The base was almost complete, with some areas like some hangers to keep vehicles still aren¡¯t finished. But, the fort now has an operational hanger to keep the jets, as well as a runway, barracks, and a multitude of other things. Around a thousand more troops were brought in, and more heavy vehicles after the report they had encountered strange human-like hostiles reached Nixon. A temporary small shack of a lab was constructed for the time until the main one was finished in a few weeks. Burton and a few men move to the small shack of a lab and entered inside. Inside the shack, It¡¯s as you expect it, dozens of tools littered on desks, machinery beeping, shelves with test tubes, and glass compartments with the strange fauna that they found so far. Upon reaching the end of the small building, they entered a room with a sign saying operation room. Originally the room was used to operate any inquired soldiers or workers if something had happened, but now it was used to dissect the bodies of the strange humans. Inside the room lies dozens of surgical equipment and multiple people working on different things. The head researcher of the entire thing, Sigmund Heinz, is looking at multiple pictures of x-rays. ¡°Ah! My apologies, I didn¡¯t see you there, welcome to my research lab, but uh, please, come to my office, I¡¯m sure none of us would discuss the results while smelling blood and flesh of bodies.¡± Heinz escorted Burton and the men into another room, his office. ¡°Well, Heinz, what do you have so far on these¡­ other humans?¡± Burton says. ¡°Oh please, just call me Sig. Well, we had taken x-rays of these bodies, and I must say they aren¡¯t any different from us, other than some bones in the legs and arms are a bit smaller and them being taller on average, they¡¯re roughly extremely similar to us, even down to DNA and other things.¡± ¡°Really? Other than their ears and face, nothing¡¯s different between us and them?¡± ¡°Well, yes, but there is one thing that I found, it seems as if they have a special organ we don¡¯t have.¡± ¡°Really? Well, what can you-¡± Before Burton could finish, a man behind him tapped his shoulder. ¡°Command just relayed that some scouts had found unknown possible hostiles 10 miles away from base moving in a straight line, descriptions match those from 2 weeks ago.¡± ¡°Damn, apologies Sig, but I must get back, I¡¯ll talk to you later.¡± Sig stared blankly at the door, then to his papers. ¡°No one really has the time to listen to what I say, huh? Oh well, back to my research..." ----- ¡°What¡¯s the current situation with those unknown forces?¡± Burton says as he steps into the large building where command is now located. ¡°The squad is keeping track of them in the shade of trees, they¡¯ve reported the unknown forces are traversing on a flat dirt road that stops only a few miles away from the fort. They¡¯ve also reported wooden carriages driven by what seems to be horses with horns on their heads.¡± ¡°Can we get a plane into the sky and check them out?¡± ¡°Will do, sir.¡± A Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter soon shoots up into the air by the runway and begins moving forward towards the line of unknown forces. ----- As the forces directed by Tordynnar continue marching forward to the base where his brother said it might be, he and his forces hadn¡¯t stopped much for breaks, thanks to the magic of the magicians he had brought along curing their fatigue. "Good thing I brought them with me, it cut off an extra week of travel for us," He thinks. ¡°We¡¯ll arrive at the location later today, so do not slow down!¡± ¡°But sir, how can we even be sure these humans will even be friendly to us?¡± A man says. ¡°Do not worry, as long as we do not show any aggression, I¡¯m positive that no harm will become of us.¡± As they continue to march down the dirt road, with carriages being hauled by magihorses with gifts as an apology, the sudden noise in the sky drew their attention, and then the sudden roar as if the sky was being ripped apart. ¡°A-a wyvern?! But I thought those things hated the climate here?!¡± A man shouts. Multiple men began to draw their bows infused with magic with magicians preparing spells. ¡°Stop! Do not attack, this Wyvern likely belongs to the humans!¡± With a simple command, the men stepped down. ¡°But sir is that thing even a wyvern, it¡¯s gray and isn¡¯t even flapping its wings?!¡± ¡°It does not matter, if it¡¯s not attacking us, it¡¯s most likely scouting¡­ quick, wave your arms at it to show we mean no harm!¡± ----- ¡°Command this is Fox-1, I¡¯ve reached what seems to be the unknown forces, looks to be over 300 men in total, and it looks like they¡¯re waving at me, they can possibly be friendly. Over.¡± ¡°Fox-1 this is Command, do not engage, keep your eyes on them until helicopter support arrives. Over.¡± ¡°This is Fox-1, understood.¡± At base, approximately 5 Bell AH-1 Cobras holding 5 men each quickly fly up into the air and make their way to the POI. ----- ¡°It¡¯s just flying over us, maybe it¡¯s waiting for reinforcements¡­¡± Tordynnar thinks to himself. ¡°Perhaps we should go back your highness? That wyvern in the sky doesn¡¯t sit well in my stomach.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, like I said it¡¯s not hostile since it¡¯s not attacking us, so it should be fine, maybe¡­¡± ¡°M-maybe¡­?¡± Just then, the strange Wyvern flew back to where it came from. ¡°See, nothing to worry about, now come, let¡¯s continue marching!¡± Elves and Humans 1020 AM NW Time - June 11 - 1969 - New World - Dirt Road ¡°Command, this is Badger Niner-One, I and squadron 2 are approaching the POI In approximately 5 minutes.¡± ¡°Understood Badger Niner-One, do not engage, attempt to make a friendly introduction, I repeat do not engage.¡± Squadron 2 soon reaches the unknown forces who soon stop upon seeing them. ¡°To be honest I was expecting more, given how drastic the report was,¡± Badger Niner-Two says. As the helicopters flew in place, a man cladded in armor with only a helmet not on with blonde hair approaches them with a box. ¡°The hell is this guy doing?¡± ¡°Does that matter, we need him out of the way so we can land.¡± ¡°Well can¡¯t we just fire a few warning shots on the ground to scare them?¡± ¡°Are you that much of a dumb ass?¡± ¡°Unless you two want to have a night shift, I suggest you shut the hell up,¡± Badger Niner-One says. ¡°Buzzkill¡­¡± Hawk-1 flashes a red light underneath the Cobra, causing the man to quickly back away, letting them finally land. Upon landing, the men waiting inside quickly hopped out and drew their guns, but officers ordered them to calm down. The man in the silver and golden armor holding a box approaches them again, the highest-ranking amongst the men, a lieutenant colonel, approaches the man with others by his side. They both looked at each other, before the lieutenant could do anything else, the man begins speaking in an unknown language. ¡°Shit, it doesn¡¯t sound like anything I¡¯ve heard, doesn¡¯t sound like Spanish or any European language¡­¡± He thinks to himself. The armored cladded man put the box into his arms, while not sure what or why he¡¯s giving him it, he thanks him nonetheless. ¡°Uh, well, thank you, I suppose¡­¡± The moment he speaks the man pauses, it seems he¡¯s realized they both don¡¯t speak the same language. ¡°Uh, sir, if I may, but it does sound similar to Latin, well, at least I think,¡± A man says. ¡°Really, you know how to speak Latin?¡± ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t taken lessons on it since high school, but I was more enthusiastic about it than other people so I might remember.¡± ¡°Alright then Private, translate what he¡¯s doing here?¡± The private stood in front of the man in armor and began speaking in Latin. ¡°Velim scire quid hic agis.¡± ¡°Et venerunt ad veniam.¡± ¡°Well, what did he say?¡± A man asks. ¡°He said something along the lines of apologizing, they do look similar to those from 2 weeks ago, you know the ambush, maybe they¡¯re here to apologize for that?¡± ¡°Alright, one of you report this back to command through the radio, we¡¯ll keep talking to our guests.¡± As the lieutenant and the other men wait for a response from command, the private and the armored cladded man continue talking in Latin. ¡°Non emisti tibi et dona ut ab excusatione.¡± The man says. ¡°O bene gratias ago tibi tantam pro illis!¡± ¡°He said that the carriages they¡¯ve brought have gifts for us, sir.¡± ¡°Alright, command said that trucks will arrive shortly, so let¡¯s just wait for now.¡± ----- ¡°Maybe the gifts weren¡¯t enough? Should I return and bring more? Hopefully not¡­¡± Tordynnar thinks to himself. The man he has talked to so far seems to be a translator, but his talk of the elvish language seems to be a bit crude, but understandable. As Tordynnar is lost deep in thought, he hears a rumbling noise then he feels it in the ground. Soon, large strange metal carriages appear from behind the trees, with no magihorses in front. ¡°T-the hell?! What are these, carriages?! No, can I even call them that, they seem much more like large metal boxes than any carriages I¡¯ve seen¡­¡± Tordynnar thinks. ¡°Well, it seems that our transport vehicles have arrived, if you allow, we can begin moving the gifts you¡¯ve brought onto them,¡± The man says. ¡°Ah, yes, I¡¯ll have my men help load them onto your,¡­ things¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re called trucks, sir.¡± With a command, Tordynnar¡¯s men began to unload the gifts in wooden crates and assisted in loading them onto these, ¡®Trucks.¡¯ The humans also assisted loading them, while some merely stood back and watched, some with dirty faces, others with interest. Once the loading of the gifts finished, the same man he was talking to seemed to be talking to an older man, at least what he could tell from the gray hair on his beard. He wore a dark blue uniform, fitted with medals on the right and left part of his chest, and a patch with three stars on his shoulders, he also wore a strange hat that Tordynnar thought looked funny. Once both men finished talking, they both started walking towards him. ¡°This is Lieutenant General Hal Moore, sir.¡± The man says to him. ¡°A Lieutenant General? My, didn¡¯t think I would there be a high ranking officer amongst them,¡± Tordynnar thinks. ¡°He wishes for you and your men to come to our base to talk,¡± The man says. ¡°Very well, though, are you able to take in over 300 men into your base?¡± ¡°I can assure you that It¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°As well, we haven¡¯t learned your name, sir.¡± ¡°As, well my name is Tordynnar Chaeven the IV.¡± The man seems to hesitate for a second, before seemingly saying Tordynnar¡¯s name the best he can in his own language to the Lieutenant-General. The lieutenant General seems to tell him something before the man turns back to Tordynnar. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°He wishes for you to travel with him as your men travel on our trucks.¡± He escorted Tordynnar to the strange beasts he had seen flying in earlier. Tordynnar could tell it wasn¡¯t anything alive, he wondered how such a thing even flies, but he doesn¡¯t want to think about something that could be extremely complicated. 1030AM NW Time - June 11 - 1969 - New World - Fort Nixon As Burton looks out the window of the command center, he watches as the Cobras land back and base, and soon after the trucks come rolling in. ¡°They speak Latin, well, good thing I know how to speak it,¡± Burton says to himself as he walks out the room. As Burton walks out of the building, he meets up with Lieutenant General Hal Moore, who had ridden on one of the trucks earlier, as he hops off from a Cobra. Hal Moore had come to the base around just a few seconds after the message about these strange humans bringing gifts. He was personally interested and hopped onto a truck before Burton could even speak to him. ¡°You could have just said something before you jumped onto a truck like that, you know?¡± Burton says as she approaches Moore. ¡°Sorry, I was possibly too interested in these, whoever they are, that I had forgotten about you, Burton.¡± ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll talk later, I have to talk to my guests now.¡± Moore walks towards the command building as Burton goes to one of the cobras where his guest is at. Upon reaching there, he can see the blonde-haired man in a daze, possibly from the shock of flying in the air. He¡¯s soon assisted out of the Cobra and he takes the headphones he was handed off of him. Soon after trucks begin to roll in, with all either carrying the gifts or the 300 men that the man called, ¡®Tordynnar,¡¯ had brought. ¡°Well, I hope my Latin is up to date¡­¡± Burton thinks. ¡°Tordynnar es Domine?¡± Burton says. (Are you Sir. Tordynnar?) ¡°Ita et Pono vos erant ''de Burton'' Ego dixi esse?¡± (Yes, are you Burton that I¡¯ve been told about?) ¡°Sed forsitan loquitur intus vestri erunt curavi.¡± (Yes, but perhaps we should talk inside, and your men will be taken care of.) Burton, Tordynnar, and some guards walk into the command building. Burton escorts him to his private office so they can talk privately. As Burton sits in his seat and Tordynnar, a woman steps in the room putting down two cups of tea on the table in front of them both. ¡°Ah, thank you, Sophia,¡± Burton says as he takes a sip. Tordynnar also took a sip, which seemed to be to his liking. ¡°Iam iustus venire ad me et libera munera.¡± Tordynnar says. (Now, I didn¡¯t just come to deliver gifts.) ¡°Vere? Nonne tu forsitan alicuius generis legatorum statuam ad necessitudines?¡± Burton says. (Really? Did you perhaps come to establish some sort of diplomatic ties?) ¡°Ita est, sed sentio ut si esset lingua patria tua facilius loqui, videre possim, quod tu non ipsum copiosa est in sermone dryadalum sequere debemus.¡± (Yes, but I feel as if it would be easier to speak in your native tongue, I can clearly see you''re not very fluent in the elvish language.) Tordynnar lifts his hand slightly and a small green ball emerges from his hand while some sort of green aura emits from it. Immediately, the two guards held up their M16s at Tordynnar¡¯s head. ¡°Put down your weapons! Unless you want to be demoted!¡± Burton shouts at them. Just as fast as they put them up, the guards put their guns down. ¡°Oh, I suppose they are just doing what they think is necessary,¡± Tordynnar says in perfect English. ¡°My, so you can speak English?! And you spoke it quite fluently too.¡± ¡°Well, to you I may be speaking this, English, but for me, I¡¯m still speaking my native tongue, translation magic is quite the treasure, no?¡± ¡°Magic¡­? Surely you¡¯re pulling my leg.¡± Burton says with a chuckle. ¡°Uh¡­ no, I¡¯m being honest, are you perhaps not able to use magic, I have heard some humans aren¡¯t capable of that.¡± ¡° Of course not, magic is nothing more than something part of fantasy.¡± With this, Burton and Tordynnar look at each other for a second, with neither of them saying anything. ¡°You¡¯re being serious, aren¡¯t you¡­?¡± Tordynnar simply nods. ¡°If I may ask, but, do you truly not know about magic?¡± ¡°Uh, yes, you can say we¡¯re¡­ well, I¡¯m not even sure if I¡¯m able to talk about it¡­¡± ¡°Oh, do not worry about that, but I¡¯ll explain translation magic to you if you truly have no experience of magic. What I¡¯m holding right now in my hand is the result of me conquering the magic in the air, and I force it to create the spell I choose, which is Translation magic. It has a range, but to simplify things, if one were to speak in a foreign language, and if this was in the vicinity, you would hear their language be translated into what you find most comfortable, and vice versa.¡± ¡°My, that sounds rather¡­ strange to me¡­¡± ¡°Well, I suppose it does to you, but let¡¯s not let that thought be the center of attention now, like I said, I also came here for diplomatic ties.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, I suppose we should get to the matter at hand, but I am not able to do such a thing, that job would be more suited to the Secretary of State.¡± ¡°Ah, while I do not know who this ¡®Secretary of State¡¯ is, they certainly sound important.¡± ¡°Yes, well, how long did it take you to travel all the way here? I know it must have been a long time given that you were bringing gifts.¡± ¡°Well, it takes approximately 3 weeks to travel from the capital to here, but I luckily made it here in just 2.¡± ¡°Well, perhaps you can stay for the night, your men will be accommodated as well. Think of this as the beginning of a friendship between our two nations.¡± ¡°Ah, well thank you, Sir. Burton and I haven¡¯t even asked the name of your country, would you mind telling?¡± ¡°America, or, the United States of America.¡± 0230AM CET Time - June 12 - 1969 - East Berlin - East Germany Rain pours down hard on the streets of East Berlin near the Berlin wall. The Grenztruppen do their usual patrols around the wall, with German Shepherds by their side. A lone man with black hair walks down the streets holding an umbrella, heading to a bar. As he steps into the bar, he can hear Auferstanden aus Ruinen faintly play on the radio as men and women talk and drink. He walks to the back of the bar, where a sole woman with blonde hair who¡¯s smoking is sitting alone. He sits opposite of her, and both stare at each other for a second before saying anything. ¡°Do you have any cigs?¡± He asks. The woman passes him a cigarette box, and he opens it. He quickly pulls a card covered by the cigarettes into his sleeve before pulling a cigarette out, lighting it, and smoking it. ¡°Did you bring any ¡®friends¡¯ with you?¡± She asks. ¡°None.¡± ¡°Well William, it seems that some ¡®friends¡¯ are following you¡­¡± She whispers. ¡°It¡¯s Walther Denzel here for christ¡¯s sake, and how many?¡± ¡°Two, a Russian and German, both wearing heavy coats.¡± She says as she puts her cigarette in an ashtray and lights another one. ¡°Meet me at the building across in 10 minutes.¡± She simply nods. He gets up from his chair and out the front door. Just as he expected, the two men are following him. He enters an apartment complex and walks up the stairs to the 4th floor, and enters a restricted room, which leads him to a balcony that reaches the roof. Upon making it to the roof of the building, he traverses the roof of the building, being careful not to be spotted by the spotlights of the nearby guard towers from the Berlin Wall. He makes it to a window and enters it, leading him to an unfurnished room, with radio equipment. The two men follow quickly, making it to the same window and entering. But the moment they enter, they¡¯re quickly knocked out. ¡°Well, it seems like it was a good idea to do that,¡± William says. ¡°What, you wanted some sort of all-out gunfight instead?¡± ¡°You know damn well that¡¯s not what I meant, Sofie.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just messing with you, all this CIA stuff sometimes messes with me and I need to tell a good joke.¡± William pulls the card he had snuck into his sleeve earlier and pulls it out. He placed it on a table before taking off his coat and putting it on a coat hanger. As William goes to his desk, he finds a letter meant for him on it. ¡°A letter? Does it say who it¡¯s from?¡± Sofie says. ¡°None, but probably by someone from the west.¡± He opens the letter and pulls out a piece of paper and reads its content. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re both being relocated for a new mission, says there¡¯s a file in my desk detailing it.¡± ¡°Seriously? We just got here a month ago, and we¡¯re supposed to go somewhere else already?¡± ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t mind, but it says it¡¯s from the president himself, so unless you wanna argue with the big man himself, I don¡¯t think you got a choice.¡± He puts the paper on his desk and opens his desk drawer, the first thing that greets him is a folder with the word ¡®Columbus¡¯ on it. City Takeover 1000AM NW Time - First Summer RIse - Thirteenth Day - 0789 - Miserabilis Region - Coalfell Village Coltone jumps up from a bed, with sweat going down his face, he looks at his body and notices multiple bandages across his body, most notably his left arm. ¡°Well, look who¡¯s finally awake!¡± Octavious says as he enters the room. Octavious grabs Coltone¡¯s shoulder and pulls him into a hug. ¡°Ahk! You bloody bastard! My back!¡± ¡°Oh right, sorry,¡± Octavious says as he lets go of him. ¡°Geez, where in the hell am I¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re in Coalfell Village. An old man found you unconscious with your horse by your side a few weeks ago, you¡¯ve been sleeping here since then.¡± ¡°S-seriously? W-what about the city, I-I must go to the Royal Capital!¡± Coltone attempts to get out of the bed, but Octavius stops him. ¡°The King has already gathered a force of 20,000 to take back the city, so calm yourself.¡± ¡°W-were there no other survivors?¡± ¡°None that I know.¡± ¡°W-wait! I had papers on me, are they still around?!¡± ¡°Calm yourself man, and yes, I have your bloody papers.¡± Octavius hands him a neat stack of paper tied with a leather cloth in a packet. ¡°You know despite how damaged those papers already are they''re much finer material than any linen fiber I¡¯ve seen.¡± Coltone opens the packet expecting something useful since he wasn¡¯t able to read it when he first grabbed them. But what he finds instead is paper with a language he can¡¯t understand. He skims through the paper, but each packet is filled with the same strange language. ¡°Uh, Octavius, do you have any idea what this language might be?¡± ¡°Nah sorry mate no clue. Plus, just wait till tomorrow, with a force of 20,000 I guarantee any sort of enemy that¡¯s in the city will be easily kicked out.¡± Coltone thinks for a moment, he knows the most about the enemies in the city, while he might not understand them, he has some sort of knowledge. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re not gonna stand by, you¡¯re gonna head to the capital, ain¡¯t ya?¡± ¡°You¡¯re damn right I am.¡± Octavius simply grins and stands up. ¡°Alright then you arrogant bastard, get off your ass and come on now!¡± Octavius throws some clothes at Coltone, and Coltone quickly puts them on. Octavius and Coltone walk outside the house they were in. ¡°Right, almost forgot to tell you, when you were found, your sword and shield weren¡¯t with you, probably fell when you were running but I requested the blacksmith, Winton, to make you a short sword. ¡°Really, he can make a short sword in just a few weeks? Plus, short swords are too unreliable.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that, It¡¯s not made of Bronze or Iron, It¡¯s made of Magisteel.¡± ¡°Really? That magic enhancing steel, the one that can be enchanted with magic, right?¡± ¡°Damn right. Found some while exploring randomly, thought It might be useful so I kept it on me.¡± As Octavius and Coltone walk down the dirt pathways of the village, Coltone couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy about the city. He pulls out the pendant he had taken from one of the bodies from the forest, the hammer and the sickle. He looked at the pendant, it had the same design he had seen on the strange moving metal box. ¡°They¡¯re connected, definitely, but what about their forces and those weird weapons they were holding. Even if there¡¯s only a few hundred and only a small handful of those moving metal boxes, will 20,000 soldiers be enough¡­¡± A sudden smack to Colton¡¯s head brought him back to reality. ¡°You alright? You seem mad in thought looking at this hammer and sickle,¡± Octavius says. ¡°Y-yea, I just found this pendant off a body in a forest, it has the same pattern on a large moving metal box I saw in the city.¡± ¡°Damn, maybe you experienced some head trauma after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m being serious you fucking cheese wheel.¡± ¡°Jeez, I¡¯m just fucking with ya, but what do you mean by moving metal boxes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain it later. Plus, aren¡¯t we supposed to go to the blacksmith?¡± ¡°Right almost forgot.¡± The pair walk down the dirt path and down to the smithy. A single man smashes his hammer on a piece of hot metal on an anvil outside the building. The man has a bulky build, wearing leather clothing, and wearing a pair of goggles. ¡°Warren, how are you doing today mate!¡± Octavius says as he slaps the man¡¯s back. The sudden slap to his back nearly causes the piece of hot metal to fall onto the floor. ¡°You fat bastard! Can¡¯t you bloody see that I¡¯m fucking working here!¡± ¡°Oh sorry mate, but do you have any idea where old man Winton is?¡± ¡°He¡¯s inside, and slap my back again, I''m shoving a hot iron rod up your ass.¡± Octavius mockingly shakes his hand before walking inside with Coltone close behind him. Inside is a house constructed out of wood and cobble, similar to the outside. Octavius opens a door into an office, revealing an oddly buff old man sitting at a desk around his mid-60s and early 70s. ¡°Well, look who it is, this your friend here Octavius?¡± Winton says pointing at Coltone. ¡°Uh, yeah, he¡¯s the one I requested you to make the short sword for.¡± ¡°Ah, well, you¡¯re damn bloody lucky I made it for ya, and in such a short time too. I¡¯m supposed to be god damned retired.¡± Coltone steps up and shakes Winton¡¯s hand. ¡°Uh, well thank you for taking time out of your schedule for me sir, I don¡¯t know how to repa-¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Don¡¯t bother, I did have some fun making this damn thing. But listen here, this is one of my finest works, if you break this thing, I break your spine¡­¡± Winston says as he tightens his grip on Coltone¡¯s hand. ¡°Remember, this damn thing is made of Magisteel, one of the rarest ores out there in the world, don¡¯t let anyone else know about this. You both got it?¡± Octavius and Coltone nod. Winton stands up from his chair, and opens a wooden box on his desk, revealing the short sword in its sheath. Coltone pulls the sword out, revealing a black hilt sword with a red gem at the end of its handle. ¡°Alright then, get out! You two have already come here with what you needed!¡± Winton says as he pushes them out of the building and slams the door. ¡°Well, he was rather a nice fellow,¡± Coltone says. ¡°Uh, yeah, sure, let¡¯s say that,¡± Octavius says. 1100AM NW Time - June 14 - 1969 - Miserabilis Region - Soviet Captured City ¡°Damn it all! Those bastards in the fucking party can all die!¡± Yakovich yells as he slams his fist on a desk. The Red Army just a few weeks ago had managed to capture the city, and Yakovich had requested the Kremlin permission to continue marching into other areas, but his request was denied. The main reason was lack of equipment, mainly things such as tanks, and aircraft. The entrance to enter this new world, the Foraminis, was too small to fit things like those, as such the very few tanks that they had, had to be quickly created, which often resulted in engine failure. As well the sudden findings of strange lizards in the sky resulted in the Red Army not being able to move a large army without any air support. While they did have anti air equipment, majority are turrets that have been set up on the city walls. The only equipment they did have was 5 IS-1, relics of the Second World War, and a few PT-76¡¯s that were hastily built. Now, he¡¯s forced to stay in the city for an extended period of two months. As Yakovich contemplates the situation he¡¯s in, a sudden knock on his door brings him back to attention. ¡°Uh, comrade Yakovich, trucks and troop transport have just arrived¡­¡± A man says as he enters the room. This sudden report surprises him. ¡°Wait, what?! How the hell did they manage to get rucks here in the first place?!¡± ¡°Uh, the paper here says that they¡¯ve found a more, ¡®Prestigious Location,¡¯ which has allowed them to bring trucks here.¡± ¡°Does it have more detail about where and what this ¡®Prestigious Location¡¯ is?¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t Comrade Yakovich¡­ it only says it was found a week ago.¡± Yakovich tightens his fist but calms down, but the fact that secrets were being kept by him from the party angered him, but he can¡¯t deny the new equipment, men, and supplies were something they needed, so he tosses aside his anger. ¡°Alright, so, now with new men, how many troops do we have now?¡± Yakovich asks the man. ¡°When we first came here we arrived with around 2,000 troops and only suffered 30 deaths taking the city, but now with the troop transports, we now have around 4,970 men.¡± ¡°What about things such as vehicles?¡± ¡°Approximately 8 T-64s, 10 Sukhoi su-15s, 10 Tupolev tu-28s, 6 Mil Mi-8s, and over 10 tons of supplies, such as food, rifles, fuel, and other such things.¡± ¡°What about the status of the airfield that we¡¯ve, ¡®asked,¡¯ the populace of the city to build?¡± ¡°It finished just last night sir, the planes and helicopters should be arriving there just now on the back of trucks.¡± 1120AM NW Time - June 14 - 1969 - Miserabilis Region - Soviet Runway A Sukhoi Su-15 goes down the runway and then flies up into the sky. The main reason for it flying is for reconnaissance, even though ground reconnaissance hasn''t noticed anything strange, but it wouldn''t be a surprise that forces would try to take back the city from the Soviets. The Sukhoi flies in the sky, around 10,000 meters in the sky, south of the city. As the pilot flies through the sky, he sees a strange formation on the ground and lowers in altitude. ¡°Command, I seem to have spotted something strange here, looks like a large line of¡­ people¡­ permission to get closer?¡± ¡°Da, do not engage unless fired on. Over.¡± ¡°Understood. Over.¡± The pilot flies down, around 2,000 meters above, and only then realizes the true size of this line of people. ¡°Command! The line¡­ there seem to be thousands! Possibly could be marching to take-,¡± Before the pilot could say anything, a sudden flash of light nearly hits his right-wing, but he manages to dodge. ¡°Command! I¡¯ve just been fired upon by hostiles! Requesting permission to engage!¡± ¡°Da! You¡¯ve been permitted!¡± The pilot quickly flies to the front of the column of people and proceeds to fire his UPK-23-250 23 mm gun pods and fires upon them. Dirt rises into the air, as bodies fly into the air. He repeats that a few more times, before another flash of light hits him and strikes his right-wing, while not much damage, but it could be problematic if left alone. ¡°Command! I¡¯ve taken damage to my right-wing, will be returning to base!¡± ----- ¡°What do you mean the first plane that we just sent out got damaged!¡± Yakovich yells at a man. ¡°T-the pilot says that he encountered a large column of men, approximately over 10,000, are approaching the city. They could be attempting to take back the city.¡± ¡°How long would it take them to get here?¡± ¡°Judging on how far out the pilot was from the base, and approximately how many are marching, just tomorrow afternoon, Comrade.¡± ¡°Did the pilot get and finer detail on them, like weapons or vehicles?¡± He shakes his head. ¡°The pilot was too focused on the numbers instead of those things, at least, that¡¯s what he says.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ get the tanks and helicopters ready tomorrow, and have the populace of the city and some of our men craft ditches and makeshift bunkers at the front of the city.¡± ¡°Understood, Comrade Yakovich.¡± ----- ¡°Is everyone alright!¡± A man yells as dead bodies are picked up. The group of 20,000 men didn¡¯t expect a sudden attack by a strange wyvern, as such not many mages with the ability to attack wyverns were brought along. Bodies are picked up, with many missing parts of their bodies, either that be chunks of their flesh, arms legs, or their head. Blood splatters the surrounding area, painting the ground, and trees, many men themselves have been colored the deep red of blood. A man rides upon a horse moving to the front to assess the situation. A man named Eutychios, a high-end noble who¡¯s been instructed to leave the attack to take back the city. He¡¯s in his mid 40¡¯s, with long black hair, and a mustache that¡¯s often told to be strange. ¡°S-sir, our forces were just attacked by a strange wyvern!¡± A footman says as he walks towards him. ¡°It at least managed to kill a few hundred of us, including a dozen magihorses¡­¡± ¡°No matter, throw their bodies on the side, we shall not halt our marching.¡± ¡°B-but sir! S-shouldn¡¯t we at least burn their bodies to bring their ashes back to their families?!¡± ¡°So, you¡¯d rather abandon your country for such feeble things! We continue marching, or else!¡± 1230PM NW Time - June 14 - 1969 - Miserabilis Region - City Walls The large group continues marching close to the city wall, preparing to take it back. Many of the men are still tired, as the only path quickest to the city has no large clearing to set up proper camps. As a result, many of the men didn¡¯t sleep correctly. Eventually, the top of the city walls are soon spotted, and the take-back of the city soon begins. ¡°Shields! At front! The footmen will be behind you to charge forward, then the calvary shall follow you!¡± Eutychios says putting on his helmet. Men in heavy armor holding large shields line up with the footmen gathering behind them. Eutychios walks closer to the walk with his captains close behind, he pulls a telescope from his pocket, and peers at the castle¡¯s walls alongside his captains. ¡°Look at that, bunkers, and what seems to be¡­ black rods poking out¡­ perhaps magicians?¡± One Captain says. ¡°So, if there¡¯s truly one magic-user per bunker they¡¯ll still be overrun at best, they¡¯ll have only a few thousand soldiers, while we have 20,000!¡± Another says. ¡°Yes, yes, now, I trust you have your divisions prepared, gentleman?¡± Eutychios asks. They all nod, and Eutychios smirks. ¡°Very well have the cavalry prepared, and begin the assault, we shall take back the city! With the forces prepared, the charge begins. The Shields begin moving in towards the bunkers. Their shields are reinforced with anti-magic enhancement, meaning even the supposed magicians in the bunkers attack, their attacks wouldn¡¯t do much against their shields. But, just as the Shields begin to get close, loud booms begin to emerge from the bunkers, as well as large streaks of light piercing through their shields. Immediately, the lines begin to break, as confused soldiers attempt to run away, or towards the bunkers in a desperate charge, only to be killed. ¡°W-what the fuck! W-what¡¯s going on! And what is that noise!¡± A captain yells. Suddenly, the Captain of the first squadron (responsible for the first wave of the assault), runs back to Eutychios and the others behind the line riding on a magihorse. But, before he can get close, his head explodes with blood, and his body falls onto the ground right in front of them. Soviets at Front! Yakovich watches from the city walls as the PK machine guns fire from the bunkers onto the incoming forces. He watches as the helpless enemies are gunned down as many either flee or attempt to charge at the bunkers, only to be killed. Even though there have been bunkers that have been taken over, those positions are quickly taken back by Soviet Infantry. ¡°Are our Tanks ready?¡± Yakovich asked a man next to him. ¡°Yes, Would you like for us to send them into the field, Sir?¡± ¡°Hmm, make sure that their forces are destroyed, no remorse.¡± The man nods and heads downstairs on the side of the walls to the ground. Moments later, the 8 T-64s drive out of the city walls and into the battlefield. The T-64s didn¡¯t have to do much at all, with only a few shots fired from them, the majority of the opposing forces began to flee back into the woods. But, Yakovich feels something strange, such a small force was used to take back the city, while they may be nothing more than Medieval barbarians, they should have more forces to take it back. Plus, just men with swords, no ca;vary or anything. ¡°Pavlov, are our flanks covered?¡± Yakovich asked a man beside him. ¡°Uh¡­ they should be Sir, why do you ask¡­?¡± ----- ¡°The hell¡¯s happening! The first wave was just slaughtered in mere minuets!¡± Eutychios shouted. ¡°S-sir, we don¡¯t even know ourselves! B-but perhaps we should move back and regroup our forces?¡± A captain said. ¡°No, we shall do no such thing. But how many men have we lost already?¡± Eutychios asked. ¡°Well, if from what I saw, at least a portion of our forces ran back into the forest, and the rest have already died or been injured, we¡¯ve already lost around 4,000 men¡­¡± One said. ¡°Damn, that''s a large portion of our infantry already gone! Have the remaining soldiers charge at the defenses, the magician and cavalry divisions will flank, destroy the walls, and charge into the city,¡± Eutychios said. ¡°B-but sir! To let thousands of men just die for a plan that might not even work! I will not allow my m-¡± Before the captain could finish his sentence, Eutychios stabs through his chest, killing him. The remaining captains, not wanting to be killed, ordered the remaining men to charge at the city defenses. The cavalry and magicians divisions are formed into two groups to flank each side of the city walls. While not practical, and having a high chance of failing, Eutychios doesn¡¯t believe that the defenders have any defense on the side, instead believing they focused on the one dirt road that leads into the city. Eutychios leads one of the groups while he rides on his magihorse. ¡°Damn! This fucking kingdom couldn¡¯t spare not even one wyvern! And those footmen are less than appealing, nothing more than weak farmers and Idiots from slums, nothing more than fodder.¡± Eutychios thought to himself. But, as Eutychios and the Divisions got closer to the walls, a sudden strange noise could be heard in the distance. Eutychios puts his hand up in a fist and lifts it into the air, stopping everyone following him. As Eutychios attempts to locate the source of the noise, an explosion rocks the Division lines, causing Eutychios to be bucked off his magihorse. Looking around, he finds the source of the noise, 5 strange metal beasts flying in the air. ----- ¡°Woah, talk about dumb, these guys make some great target practice, eh?¡± A pilot says. ¡°Yeah, these guys can¡¯t even do anything, they¡¯re running like some headless chickens!¡± Another said. ¡°Ay, I see a guy running East, he looks like some guy with big armor, maybe he¡¯s a captain or something?¡± Another said. ¡°Command, this is Lisa-One, we believe we have found some commander of sort, we request for vehicle support for possible capture. Over.¡± ¡°Heard. A truck will attempt to capture him, keep track of him in the meantime. Over.¡± ¡°Lisa-Five, follow him will you, we¡¯ll continue doing our job here.¡± A helicopter breaks off from the group and begins to chase the armor cladded man running in the woods. They give chase, while the man attempts to run the best he can he doesn¡¯t make it very far, as a Truck of Soviet troops drives up and stops the man, and the men grab him and shove him into the truck. In the end, the attempted assault on the bunkers and city had failed, not only were both flanking groups destroyed, but as well as the main force, though they had managed to take some bunkers, they failed in the end. The Soviet forces after hours of slowly depleting their forces pushed into the camp the Infirmi Army made before attempting the take the city, and it was a one-sided Soviet Victory. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Infirmi Kingdom Casualties - 7,000 Soldiers dead - 2,000 captured - Unknown Injured. 6,000 Magihorses dead. 2,000 Magicians dead. Over 350 Tons of equipment loss. Could be possible that War Crimes were committed on the Infirmi Army by the Soviets after the battle. Possibly a handful of soldiers escaped, the exact number is estimated to be less than 10. Soviet Union Casualties 50 Soldiers dead - 190 Injured. 0 vehicles lost - 0 tanks and helicopters lost. Over 20,000 rounds of ammunition were used. 350 Tons of equipment gained, though questionable if even half of it is usable. 1100PM NW Time - First Summer Rise - Fourteenth - 0789 - Miserabilis Region - Dirt Path Coltone and Octavius ride their Magihorses on a dirt road, heading East. The reason is to reach the Royal Capital, possibly warn the King of the force holding the city In the Miserabilis Region, but also find a way to read the strange language on the documents he has. Coltone and Octavius stop for the night, tying their magihorses¡¯ reins on tree branches, and starting a small campfire. ¡°So, do you just plan to go to the capitol and nothing else?¡± Octavius said. ¡°Of course not you fucking blowfish, I plan to attempt to speak with the King, obviously.¡± ¡°Come on! Are you gonna keep insulting me?! And what makes you think a Knight of a Lord can just walk into the capitol and ask to speak to the King?!" ¡°Well, maybe I¡¯m able to speak with him, you don¡¯t know. From what I heard, he¡¯s a rather nice man, other than the magic thing.¡± Octavius pulls out some bottles of liquor, and they both start drinking. ¡°Yeah yeah, that¡¯s what they all say, every single one of those noble bastards says, there ain¡¯t no such thing as a great King!¡± Octavius said. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d love some sorta nation out there with some actual good government officials, or perhaps some sorta union,¡± Coltone said. ¡°Like those worker unions, the people keep making out in the mines that immediately fall when the Army arrives? Like they¡¯ll ever happen.¡± ¡°Good to imagine though, right? But, maybe you¡¯re right, think I¡¯m gonna head to bed early.¡± ¡°Damn, really gonna leave me here to drink this all this booze myself?¡± ¡°Not like your fat ass can get drunk with all the shit you eat, you twat.¡± ----- The next day, Coltone and Octavius are back on their magihorses, traversing the dirt path. ¡°So, should be just a few hours, right? Luckily the path to the capital is short, huh?¡± Octavius said. ¡°Yeah, good thing the path isn¡¯t too long, I¡¯d rather not ride for weeks on my magihorse, think I¡¯d go insane¡­¡± Coltone responded. As the two ride down a dirt path, a sudden noise catches their attention. The noise confuses both, It¡¯s not any sort of noise they recognize, and the two get off their magihorses and head towards the noise within the woods. As they both get closer, they realize what the noise is, the clashing of metal. They both quickly run to the noise of the clashing metal and find a group of carriages surrounded by knights fighting against hobgoblins. Coltone immediately runs down to assist, while Octavius thinks for a moment before going to help. ¡°Finally, some help! Quickly, get into better positions!¡± A man shouted. Unfortunately for Coltone and Octavius, their assistance wasn¡¯t required, as a man with blond hair, and formal clothes step out of the carriage. ¡°Well, I probably left this go on for a bit too long,¡± The man says. Once his foot is planted onto the ground, he lifts his hand to his head, and it begins to glow a brown color. Then pieces of earth emerge from the ground piercing the hobgoblins, killing them. ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± A man says as they pile the dead hobgoblins and dead guard bodies on the side of the dirt road. Coltone and Octavius help with the bodies, even though they wanted to help to deal with the Hobgoblins, but they¡¯ll help as much as they can. Once they finish, Coltone and Octavius approach the blonde-haired man in formal clothes. ¡°Ah, gentleman! I must thank you for trying t assist, obviously, and thank you both for trying to assist with the Hobgoblins,¡± The man said. ¡°Well, we tried, but I suppose you lot had this all within your hands in the first place,¡± Octavius says. ¡°Yes, when I saw you lot, I figured that perhaps I let my men fight for too long,¡± The man says. ¡°But, can I ask who you gentleman are?¡± ¡°Ah! My name is Coltone, and this is Octavius. I¡¯m a knight for Lord Winifred Elsmere, and Octavius is just a village guard,¡± Coltone said. ¡°Ah! Winifred! I recently heard that the city he resided in was recently taken over by an unknown enemy. In fact, have you seen Winifred recently, Coltone?¡± ¡°Uh, no, my apologies, I haven¡¯t seen him since the attack on the city. In fact, we¡¯re heading over to the capital to decipher these papers I found on his desk during the attack,¡± Coltone said as he pulls out the stack of papers in the unknown language. ¡°My, such a strange language, I¡¯ve never thought I¡¯d see such a thing, It looks like something I¡¯d write in my spare time.¡± ¡°Well, I can just butt in, but are you perhaps a merchant, or a lord of some sort, sir?¡± Octavius said. ¡°Ah, right, my name is Fritjof Reeve, a Lord, well only a minor lord, I hope that answers your question.¡± ¡°Ah! Well, thank you very much, sir, I suppose me and my mate should go now,¡± Coltone said as Fritjof hands back the papers to him. ¡°Please, travel with me and my envoy, I don¡¯t see a reason why not to let you travel with me, plus I do require some new guards.¡± Octavius and Coltone think for a second, but they didn¡¯t see why not. Coltone¡¯s and Octavius¡¯ magihorses are strapped onto the front of a carriage, and they began to ride off. Establishing Relations 0100AM NW Time - June 15 - 1969 - Elven Territory - US Military Base US troops stack numerous wooden crates on top of each other in a hanger. ¡°Fucking hell, these crates are so damn heavy! What do you guys think are in these damn things?¡± A man asked. ¡°Well, let¡¯s pop one of these fuckers open, maybe we can even take some things without anyone noticing,¡± Another man said. The man grabbed a crowbar from the floor in the hanger, and proceeded to crack a crate open slightly, but a man grabbed his hand stopping him. ¡°Now come on now, stealing gifts is a bit much, but a gift between governments is when I think it¡¯s a bit much.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? Why you damn negros always tryna get into a white mans buisness.¡± ¡°Call me that again and you¡¯ll be waking up with a missing tongue.¡± He said with a serious face. ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong, too scared to face me like a man so you threaten me, you fucking dirty ni-¡± Before the man could finish, the other mans fist collides against his face, making him fall onto the ground. Blood splattered from the man''s nose and a tooth fell from his mouth and onto the ground. ¡°You got some nerve you inbred fucking white boy!¡± The black man says as he grabs the collar of the fallen man and punches him again. The white man pushes him off of him and stands up grabbing the crowbar off the ground. ¡°My granddaddy didn¡¯t fight a damn war for you blackies to be around!¡± He said as the man swung the crowbar. But the black man dodges it, and multiple men begin to surround and form a circle. ¡°Alright folks, let¡¯s see who wins, the black boy or white boy, place your bet into my helmet, please,¡± A man said, going around holding his helmet out as men put money in it, betting. ¡°Well, maybe if your granddaddy wasn¡¯t so busy fucking his cousin, he would have won the war!¡± He said right before a swing smacked into his left arm, breaking it. He recoils and trips onto the ground. The white man stands above him, about to swing the crowar, two gunshots go off. ¡°The fucks going on here!¡± Brigham says, now fully healed, walking into the crowds of people. He grabs the helmet from the man who was taking bets, and pulls out the money. ¡°Well thank you, Private, I think I¡¯ll spend it on something. Now, 30 laps around the hangers!¡± The men quickly run out of the hanger doing as they¡¯re told, while Brigham talks to the other two. ¡°You retards wanna explain to me what the fuck was going on?¡± Both of the men stay quiet, each not sure what to say. ¡°Fine, you both get to the Infirmary, unless you want double the laps!¡± ----- Tordynnar watched the event from afar as the two men walked off. While he might not understand what they¡¯re saying, he can tell It¡¯s probably not good. ¡°Suppose any army has Its flaws, whether they¡¯re visible or not,¡± Tordynnar thought to himself. He looks away, and heads to a large building he was in when first brought into the large base. He enters the room he¡¯s been staying in for the last 3 days. He pulls a small crystal ball from a bag and places it on the table. He sits down on the chair and lightly taps the crystal ball, which then glows green. ¡°Son! Son! Are you there, can you hear me!¡± His fathers voice suddenly echoed from the crystal ball. ¡°Yes, father, you don¡¯t have to shout , you know.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m simply only worried for you, and I also managed to fulfill the request you asked of me. It was a large platform, correct, and why did you request such a thing, do the humans have wyverns?¡± ¡°Yes, and not entirely, but It¡¯ll be easier for you to see them in person rather than me explaining them. All I can really say for now is that these humans who call themselves, ¡®Americans,¡¯ are quite strange.¡± ¡°Americans? I never heard of a human nation called America¡­ have you asked where they came from?¡± I¡¯d rather tell the nobles and officials quickly, they¡¯re beginning to get restless.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, I do indeed know, they say they''re from-,¡± Before Tordynnar could finish, a sudden loud noise from his father''s side catches his attention. Then the sudden noise of heels gets closer. ¡°E-ealirel! What are you doing!¡± ¡°So, I leave to go to the Southern Regions for business, and when I come back, humans are in our Eastern Region, and you¡¯re with them!¡± ¡°Ah, yes, it¡¯s so nice to hear your voice, little sister¡­¡± ¡°Oh, right, It¡¯s good to hear you too, but do you mind explaining to me what you¡¯re doing?¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°U-uh, w-well I-it seems as if the communicator is running low on power, I¡¯ll talk to you tomorrow!¡± ¡°W-what!? Don¡¯t you dare-¡± Before she could finish, Tordynnar turned off the crystal ball. He sighs and puts it away inside his bag. With not much to do, he simply heads to bed. 0700AM NW Time - June 16 - 1969 - Elven Territory - US Military Base Tordynnar walks around the base with Burton walking around with him. ¡°I will never understand how these metal beasts work, but I suppose I shall never understand it,¡± Tordynnar said, translation magic in hand. ¡°Yes, not even I know the very basics of it. But let¡¯s not focus on the now, shall we?¡± Burton asked, a hand pointing at a CH-47 Chinook. Tordynnar nods, and as they step inside they meet U.S Secretary of State, William Pierce Rogers. ¡°So, Mr. Rogers, how do you feel so far?¡± Burton asked him. ¡°Well, It¡¯s far more different than I imagined, but I am ready to do my job, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever understand anything in this world¡­¡± Rogers said. ¡°And, hello Mr¡­ Tordynnar¡­ correct?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my name. It''s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Secretary of State,¡± Tordynnar said, shaking his hand. ¡°Please, just call me William.¡± The Chinooks began to spring to life, and they soon began to ascend. ¡°Command this is Alpha-2-2, preparing to take off. Over.¡± ¡°Alpha 2-1 you¡¯re clear to go, escorts will be a group of F-5¡¯s. Over.¡± ¡°Alright, Alpha 1-1 we¡¯re clear to go.¡± The Chinooks soon began flying to their POI, with a group of F-5¡¯s escorting them, just in case. Of course Chinooks aren¡¯t the only ones, Bell¡¯s are also with them also as escorts. In total the mission has over a few hundred men, excluding Tordynnar¡¯s men, who are also traveling in the Chinooks. 0800PM NW Time - First Summer Rise - Fourteenth - 0789 - Elven Kingdom - Royal Palace. The King rubs his fingers nervously as he awaits the arrival of these so-called ¡®Americans.¡¯ Tordynnar had asked his father to create a large elevated flat area that leads into the palace. Though it was a strange request, the King didn¡¯t think much of it, and it wasn¡¯t necessarily a difficult thing to do as well. ¡°Father, you don¡¯t have to act so nervous, I¡¯m sure brother is fine,¡± Andrathath said. ¡°Yes, I know he¡¯s safe, but It¡¯s the humans I¡¯m more worried about. Since he requested for me to make this platform these humans must certainly have wyverns of some sort.¡± ¡°Well, maybe, but as I said, I¡¯m sure brother wouldn¡¯t have contacted us in such a calm tone if these Americans were truly hostile.¡± ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. And have you seen your sister? I¡¯d rather her not be here when we meet them¡­¡± ¡°I believe she¡¯s in the city, she¡¯ll probably won¡¯t be back home for at least for a few hours.¡± ¡°Good, her attitude can be¡­ not very suitable in many cases.¡± ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to agree with that as well¡­¡± As the King and Andrathath await the arrival of the Americans, a sudden noise can be heard in the air, a noise none of them recognize. Then, a sudden object flew past them, then a sudden boom of noise and a sudden flash of wind nearly caused them to fall over. As they both regained their composure, they both watched as unknown things landed on the platform. The Elven guards put their guard up, but Andrathath had them stand down. The strange things that have just landed have strange spinning blades on both on top, and at the end of a tail of some sort, and there¡¯s three others, larger than the others, and with two blades spinning on top of it. ¡°C-could these things belong to the Americans¡­?¡± Andrathath said, with a slight nervousness in his voice. Fortunately for him and the King, the first person they see is Tordynnar. This in turn turned their fears over, at least truly believing they can truly trust these Americans. ¡°Oh¡­ my heart feels as if it has returned to my body¡­¡± The King said. ----- The Chinooks and Bells open and troops begin to get off. The Chinooks mainly have the men that Tordynnar had brought with him, as well other things, mainly gifts as well. Burton and William exit the Chinook, and are greeted by soldiers cladded in medieval style armour. ¡°Well, this will certainly be the strangest meeting I will ever have,¡± William says. ¡°Well, you have a job to do, now if you excuse me, I have to return back to base, I only came to overlook everything went smooth,¡± Burton says as he steps back into the Chinook. ¡°You¡¯re not being serious¡­¡± William whispers to himself as the Chinook flies off back to base. William thought for a moment, before moving towards a group of U.S Soldiers. William, now escorted side by side from soldiers, walked up to the talking trio. ¡°Ah, Mr. William, please, this is my brother, and this is my Father, the King as you would call him.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, but I ask if we can please continue with the diplomatic mission?¡± ----- In a large meeting hall, the King and William sit at a large table, with each representing guards by each of them. In the middle of the room a sole elf wearing a robe holding translation magic in his hand, allowing both sides to understand each other. ¡°Sir. Tordynnar the Third, under the Nixon Administration of the United States of America, I''ve come to establish diplomatic ties with the United States of America, with your nation.¡± ¡°Yes, I also wish to establish diplomatic ties as well. But, if I may ask, will there be anything of demand that the United States will ask?¡± ¡°Nothing more than land, and nothing more. I have documents detailing everything about the signing.¡± ¡°If I may, for what reason does the United States wish for land, rather than things such as weapons and such?¡± Andrathath said. ¡°The US wishes for land for both militaristic reasons, as well for mining of natural resources such as Oil, and other such things. The US as well is asking for 800,000 Acres of land where we are already currently occupied.¡± While the King may not understand what ¡®Acres¡¯ means, but he figured he should ask questions later. ¡°The US is willing to possibly open trade, most importantly a cultural exchange if possible.¡± ¡°Well, If I may ask, is there any benefit for us if we sign this?¡± ¡°While I may not be able to guarantee things as of now, the US is also willing to exchange things such as technology, in the promise that you''ll be able to teach the US of this ¡®magic.¡¯ While skeptical, the King was blindsided to have quite possibly a powerful ally, and not sacrificing much either. The King simply signed the treaty, and the US has now finally established a stable foothold in the new world. A New Mate 0120PM NW Time - First Summer Rise - Seventeenth Day - 0789 - Infirmi Kingdom - Infirmi Capital Coltone and Octavius travel with Fritjof to the capital. It took a few days to reach the Capital of Infirmi, or just promptly named, Infirmi Capital. ¡°So, do you boys have any idea on how you¡¯ll decipher those papers? Fritjof said to Octavius and Burton. ¡°Well, I think we should head to the King, since I believe that¡¯s the best course of action,¡± Coltone said. ¡°And how do you think some knights are going to have an audience with the King?¡± Octavius shrugs Coltone¡¯s shoulder, a bit of ¡®I told you¡¯ so moment. Coltone responded by kicking Octavius¡¯s foot. ¡°Well, I was sort of hoping that you would perhaps spread word to him...? Could you?¡± ¡°Possibly, but It¡¯ll be unlikely, so I wouldn¡¯t count on it.¡± As the three talk, they finally arrive at the walls of the capital. ¡°Well, thank you very much, Lord Fritjof for the ride,¡± Coltone said as he stepped out of the carriage, and Octavius soon followed. ¡°Yes, well I hope you gentlemen find what you¡¯re booking for with those documents.¡± Octavius and Coltone, now leading their magihorses walk through the walls of the Capital. ¡°So, what¡¯s your plan now, Mr.Genius?¡± Octavius said. ¡°Shut it lard, I¡¯m thinking, the most I can do right now is have a drink.¡± Coltone said. ¡°You know Coltone, if we weren¡¯t childhood friends I would have smashed your face into the ground by now.¡± With not much of an Idea in his head, Coltone and Octavius head to a local bar to drink. The bar itself Isn¡¯t extremely appealing, mainly drunens with not much in life shouting and fighting. ¡°Makes you really miss the village life,¡± Octavius said. ¡°Tell me about it, still I¡¯d rather find a way to understand these papers. And It¡¯s not as if I can just walk into the palace shouting I need to speak with the King,¡± Coltone said. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have the most fun hanging, Coltone.¡± ¡°Hmm, I feel like your body would snap the rope if you were ever hanged.¡± ¡°Why the hell am I even still friends with you¡­¡± ¡°Sometimes I even wonder about that, Octavius...¡± The two drink to their heart''s content. As the two drink, Coltone notices a cloaked figure moving amongst the walls. Whie he thought nothing at first, he watched as the figure stole some bags from drunkards. Coltone looks away from the figure and continues drinking, but he soon notices that his bag he had is gone. He looks back to the figure, which he notices the figure has his bag in their hand. The figure leaves the bar, and Coltone runs after them. ¡°You fuck, get back here!¡± Coltone shouted, but the figure instead got faster. Coltone in his knight armor proved to be too slow to keep track of them. But, Octavius suddenly appears and pulled the cloaked figure into an alleyway, with Coltone close by. ¡°Well, well, well, you really ain¡¯t very much of a thief if I managed to catch you,¡± Octavius said. Octavius rips the cloak off the figure, revealing a pale almost skinny figure, with messy black hair, and black eyes, wearing light leather armor. ¡°Well look at that, a beast-kin, shouldn¡¯t be very surprised,¡± Coltone said. The figure, now completely exposed in the light, revealed a smooth tail, and cat-like ears alongside their already obvious features. ¡°C-c''mon guys, I ain¡¯t even do nothin wrong¡­!¡± They said, backing up. ¡°You know I should probably just go ahead and tear off one of your ea-¡± Before he could finish, Coltone was slapped in the back of the head. ¡°Oi, no need to be threatening, you fucking stick, and you haven¡¯t checked if everything is in your bag,¡± Octavius said. ¡°Calling me a stick¡­ that should be a dream for you¡­¡± Coltone mumbled to himself as he checked his bag, confirming everything was in it. ¡°Good, now, what¡¯s your name mate?¡± Coltone asked the figure. ¡°And why the fuck should I tell you?¡± ¡°Guess I should cut off one of your ears,¡± Coltone said, edging his dagger around the beast-kin¡¯s ear. ¡°Alright, alright! My name''s Dow!¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Hmm, you can get anything out of a Beast-Kin by threatening them,¡± Coltone said, putting his sword away. ¡°So, Mr. or Ms. Dow, the hell are you stealing from my mate here?¡± Octavius said. Octavius had a hard time identifying the beast-kin¡¯s gender due to his feminine features yet somewhat masculine voice. His features were a little distracting as Octavius could not help but steal multiple glances. ¡°Well I just need money, I¡¯m in serious debt. His bag looked the nicest there, as nice as things get in a slum bar, so figured I might as well steal it, and It¡¯s Mr, by the way.¡± ¡°Can I just cut one of the bastard¡¯s ears off already?¡± ¡°You have zero tolerance for Beast-Kin huh. Well, I don¡¯t see a reason to necessarily punish you to be honest.¡± ¡°The hell you talking about, the bastard stole from me!¡± ¡°Yeah, but everythings in the bag, In¡¯it? So I don¡¯t see the problem. In fact, why dontcha¡¯ come with us, Dow.¡± Octavius said. ¡°Eh?! You serious? You know this walking stick over here will probably try and kill me in my sleep, ya know?¡± Dow said, pointing at Coltone. ¡°He¡¯s right ya¡¯ know,¡± Coltone said. ¡°Well, I have a good heart, and who knows, he can be very useful. If you come, we¡¯ll help you payoff your debt-¡± ¡°Deal.¡± ¡°Y-you already made a decision that fast¡­¡± ¡°If you were me with all the debt I have, you would too.¡± Octavius looks at Coltone then back to Dow before throwing Dow¡¯s cloak back to him. The now Trio walked down city streets of the Capital. ¡°So, Dow, how long have ya been in debt for?¡± Octavius asked. ¡°Since around 14 years ago, I inherited it after my parents passed when I was 4. I did a lot of weird shit to try and pay it off, ya know how easy it is to fu-.¡¯¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯d rather not listen to your whoring adventures, I¡¯d rather go ahead and figure out what to do next.¡± Coltone said. ¡°The hell are you two even doing anyways?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re going out to find a way to translate these papers,¡± Coltone said, showing the papers to Dow. ¡°Looks like a bunch of children scribbling more than any sort of language¡­ maybe I can help with it?¡± ¡°You really think you can help?¡± Coltone said. ¡°Look mate, I don¡¯t know what your deal is with Beast-Kin, but I¡¯m sure as hell smarter than you.¡± Dow said. ¡°Alright now, I think It¡¯s best for us all to get along, and how can you help Dow?¡± Octavius said cutting in the middle of the two. ¡°There¡¯s this old woman I know, she¡¯s like a real special lady, I can¡¯t explain it but it¡¯s better for me to show you guys.¡± Coltone and Octavius followed Dow into the cramped alleyways of the slums to wherever this old woman was. ¡°The slums, this place always makes me feel uneasy¡­¡± Coltone said. ¡°It¡¯s just a product of a city, there¡¯s no way to avoid such things sprawling up. Cmon, the place is just around here,¡± Dow said. The Trio eventually made it to a run down building, and they entered. ¡°Hey! Old woman! I¡¯m back, and I have some friends here who want to talk to you!¡± Dow shouted. ¡°Stop shouting, I may be old but I still have ears!¡± A raspy old voice shouted back behind a corner. An old woman wearing a mismatched color of clothes with a headscarf, and holding a cane. ¡°Come, come, come, sit, I don¡¯t have all day now.¡± The old woman guided them into another room, and they all sat at a table. ¡°So, for what reason have you two come and see me?¡± She asked Coltone and Octavius. ¡°Well, we were told by Dow that you might be able to help us translate these papers,¡± Coltone said as he pulled the papers from the bag and put them in front of her. The old woman examined the papers for a brief second, while seeming to recognize it, she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, It seems as if my old mind isn¡¯t able to remember anything like this language,¡± She said. ¡°Ah, our apologies then mIss, I suppose we should be on our way,¡± Coltone said, grabbing the papers. ¡°Wait, I may know of a way of finding out what it might say. You must head to the west, and to the Island of the Elves,¡± She said. ¡°And exactly how would the elves help exactly?¡± Dow said. ¡°No, It is not the elves themselves, It is what is on the Island itself, people that might help.¡± ¡°But why should we bother to even travel so far in the first place?¡± Octavius said. ¡°So, would you rather for your country to crumble into nothing but ash, or travel west, and have a piece survive to continue its legacy?¡± It was a strange thing to say, Coltone, Octavius, and Dow stayed silent. ¡°Ok, If you say so, I guess It¡¯s the best choice,¡± Coltone said, grabbing the papers. The Trio leave the house and back into the slums, thinking of their next plan. ¡°So, I guess we¡¯re about to have an adventure, huh?¡± Dow said. ¡°Should be a small town west of the Capital, I heard it¡¯s got the best equipment for a long trip. It should be our first destination,¡± Coltone said. As they walk down the alleyway, some people appear in front of them all in cloaks. ¡°Oi, Dow, who are you hanging with? Have you had enough fun with us already?¡± One shouted. ¡°Guess they¡¯re the ones you¡¯re in debt with?¡± Coltone asked Dow. ¡°Yeah, they call themselves the ¡®Copper Knights,¡¯ kinda of a strange name if ya ask me.¡± ¡°C-copper Knight? Sounds like a child named them,¡± Octavius said. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what everyone says around these parts,¡± Dow said. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t ignore us you bitch!¡± The same person shouted. ¡°Should we just ignore them?¡± Coltone said. ¡°You do that they might turn hostile, probably best we just do what they want,¡± Dow said. ¡°Forget that, they barely look like a threat, plus I haven¡¯t tested out this short sword yet,¡± Coltone said. Coltone walked towards the three gang members, preparing to draw his short sword. ¡°Oh, it looks like Dow hired some guards for him. Why don¡¯t you just leave your stuff on the ground for us mate?¡± Coltone, unfazed by their threats, took out his short sword. With a clench around the handle of the short sword, the red gem on the end of it glowed fiercely. The sword is engulfed in flame, Coltone sashed the air, causing fire to stream towards the three men, lighting them on fire. Coltone looks back at Dow and Octavius and gives a thumbs-up, and they give one back. Then, an explosion caused Coltone to be flown into the air before landing hard onto his back. He slowly got up to see the entire area of the slums where he threw the fire engulfed in flames. ¡°Eh¡­ did I do that¡­?¡± Southern Threat 0910PM NW Time - First Summer Rise - Twentieth Day - 0789 - Dryadalis Kingdom - Southern Border The small Southern Border between the two human Kingdoms, Vostok, and Zapad. The border is guarded by both Elves and an extremely high wall to keep both nations away, due to both nations being at constant conflict. Both Vostok and Zapad wish to unify the opposite under one banner. Both have been in constant war for generations, with peace deals barely lasting a decade. However, Elven spies had found out the 11th Vostok and Zapad War was coming to an end, and peace deals were being formed. However, the main concern was an unnatural amount of Vostok, and Zapad troops spotted near the Elven border both nations share. While they weren¡¯t directly at the border, it has been the first time in possibly over a 100 years since both nations paid attention to the Elven border. This in turn, resulted in the border becoming more hardened in case to ward off any potential invasion. But, many soldiers stationed at the border are laxed, as there are no new reports of Vostok and Zapad soldiers near the border walls. Many soldiers are gambaling, sleeping, drinking, anything to do just to pass the time. ¡°How long do you think we¡¯ll be stationed in the South?¡± An Elf said to another. ¡°Who knows, It¡¯s been real quiet recently. But have you heard of the humans in the Eastern Region?¡± The Elf said back. ¡°Think so, I heard they suddenly appeared from nowhere. They couldn¡¯t have come from the Eastern Region, too far of a journey to be worth it.¡± ¡°Who cares, mind passing me another drink though?¡± The two Elves continue to talk. Then, a sudden explosion rocked the walls, knocking both men down onto the floor. ¡°ATTACK! WE¡¯RE UNDER ATTACK!¡± An Elf shouted. Elves on the walls ran around preparing defences, as bright lights fell from the sky colliding with the walls, exploding parts of the walls off. In the distance, the red banner of Vostok, the sun, and the blue banner of Zapad, the moon. ¡°Hold the wall! We shall not let them pass!¡± An Elf shouted. 1020PM NW Time - First Summer Rise - Twentieth Day - 0789 - Dryadalis Kingdom - Royal Palace ¡°Your majesty! Your majesty!¡± A messenger shouted running into the throne room. ¡°Hmm? What is it, I¡¯m busy with something,¡± The King said, looking at some papers. ¡°There¡¯s reported attacks on the Southern border by both Zapad, and Vostok! The Southern Border has been overrun!" ¡°W-what do you mean! You mean they''re both working together?! Is the border wall still standing!?¡± The King shouted ¡°I don¡¯t know, Sir. This report is from last night, it could be possible that the wall has already fallen.¡± A panic began to stir inside the King''s head. ¡°W-why an attack on the border? Could the recent war between the two be a lie to take us by surprise?!¡± The King thought to himself. ¡°Summon all available nobles and officials! A meeting will commence!¡± 1130PM EST Time - June 20th - 1969 - Washington D.C - White House A man walks into the Presidential office. ¡°Mr. President, there¡¯s some reports that our new allies in this ¡®New World '' have been attacked in the South,¡± The man said, handing Nixon the papers. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°That so, what¡¯s their name again¡­? E-elves or something?¡± Nixon asked. ¡°Uh, should be if their names are translated directly into English, they¡¯re asking for assistance with this threat in the South.¡± ¡°Sure, why not, if we win this war for them, we may be able to negotiate for more land, and possibly some more things.¡± ¡°S-should we really just be helping just for such selfish needs, sir¡­?¡± The man asked. ¡°Son, I think you gotta understand, we¡¯re fighting out in the jungles of Vietnam, and trying to contain the biggest threat to humanity, Communism.¡± Nixon said as he slowly stood up. ¡°You gotta understand, if we have more resources under our belt, we have more power to contain it, and eventually, wipe it out. Plus, I¡¯m sure helping them win a war, we¡¯re allowed to take some resources for ourselves.¡±Nixon said, putting a hand on the man¡¯s left shoulder. ¡°Y-yes sir, I suppose all you¡¯ve said is true, I should go now,¡± The man said hastily. Nixon watched as the man left, before going back to his desk, and grabbing the papers he was given. ¡°I¡¯m sure Moore will handle it, he¡¯s more than capable, probably.¡± 0100AM NW Time - June 21th - 1969 - Dryadalis Kingdom - Linga Forest City The King finds himself in a meeting with Lieutenant General Hal Moore. He had requested American help with dealing with Zapad and Vostok. Due to Elven Isolation from their human neighbors to the south, the Elven Military itself, both in power and numbers, won¡¯t be enough to take down two nations'' armies. As such, asking assistance from the Americans is possibly the most logical idea. As per usual, a mage is standing by holding translation magic. ¡°So If I may ask again, you are requesting US Military support against the nations of, ¡®Zapad, and Vostok¡¯?¡± Hal asked. ¡°Y-yes, normally I wouldn¡¯t ask for assistance, but due to our lack of military size, power, and other such factors, the nobles, officials, and I felt as if this was the best course of action,¡± The King said. ¡°Well, obviously, there will be some conditions for us and you as well. Don¡¯t worry about money though, the US will be taking resources from land that we managed to take over in the South. Of course, your nation will as well be receiving some of those natural resources as well,¡± Hal said. ¡°Well, I suppose I will have to take risks in terms of keeping my people safe. How long will it be before your military is ready?¡± ¡°At best, a day or two, at worst, a week. But in the meantime things such as ground vehicles will be able to assist, but our air force will be unable to assist due to no air fields close enough to where the battles are.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ll attempt to assist in holding them as long as possible until 100% of your military might is prepared, as well as assisting in any other matters.¡± Once the meeting was finished, the King walked down the hallway to his room, sighing and rubbing his head, with two guards by his side. As he walked down the hallway, his son, Andrathath, came up behind him. ¡°Father, can I speak to you in private?¡± Andrathath asked. The two walked into a private room before talking. ¡°Father, I don¡¯t feel very comfortable with these Americans. They are friendly, and have proven to be quite advanced, but I can¡¯t shake an uneasy feeling off of myself. Something about them, I just feel as if they¡¯re hiding something,¡± Andrathath said. ¡°Yes, I also feel like that, but we can¡¯t do much for now, not until we¡¯re able to,¡± The King said. With not much to say, the King simply left, leaving Andrathath in the room, left with an uneasy face. 0600AM NW Time - June 21th - 1969 - Dryadalis Kingdom - Southern Region M60¡¯s, M113 APCs, M109 Howitzer¡¯s, M551 Sheridan¡¯s, and M48 Pattons. All of these vehicles are traversing a flat grassland. Their mission, take back the elven southern region. Zapad and Vostok have already taken over a portion of the Elven Southern region, and as a way to keep friendly relations with the Elves, this armoured group is to simply take back a small Elven village to not only look for survivors, but to control the area and transform it into an airstrip. Though, the mood amongst those in the group is of relative calmness. ¡°Alright, the village should just be half a mile away, behind this small hill,¡± A man said over the radio. As the group drive by a hill, the remminance of a destroyed village appears, houses destroyed, debris everywhere, even what seems like burnt corpses. ¡°Jesus christ¡­ alright, APCs are gonna stop here, we got half an hour to look through the entire village. Let¡¯s move!¡± A man said over the radio. The APCs stopped and troops began to unload from them. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Everyone¡¯s gonna be splitting into two and exploring the village. If you find anything interesting, report immediately,¡± A Staff Sergeant said. US Advancement Two men walk down a destroyed street of the village. Houses are destroyed, bodies litter the streets. ¡°God, I feel bad for these pointy-eared bastards,¡± One of them said. ¡°Yeah, but not much we can do right now. Other than just keeping our guard up,¡± The other man said. As they both walked down an alleyway between destroyed buildings, a sudden rumble caused both men to fall face-first onto the ground. The two slowly got up as the rumbling continued before suddenly stopping. The two men froze, waiting for the rumbling to stop, as it got closer and closer. But once it did stop, the two men stayed still, trying to listen to the origin of the rumbling. As the two men stood still, a strange green liquid fell from above and onto a crate, dissolving it. The two men slowly looked up, to be met with a light blue scally rigid head, a long and low skull, with an upturned snout. Black horns adorn the top of its head, three on each side. It has black eyes, with yellow pupils. ¡°K-kinda looks like a Dina-¡± One of the men almost said, before the mouth of the beast grabs him, before iit eats him. The other man watches in horror as is eaten by the creature before it looks down at him. The man quickly runs away, and the creature follows, causing the ground to violently rumble. ¡°FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, ANYO- oh yeah, I got a fucking gun!¡± The man said, equipping his gun from his shoulder strap. The man shoots his gun into the air, he wouldn¡¯t dare shoot at the beast, he isn''t that stupid. ----- The tank crews that stayed behind in the area when the squad arrived in the village are largely laid back. With not much to do, many are simply napping either in the shade of the destroyed homes, or inside the tanks. But, the sudden shots of gunfire had them all their attention west, where the gunfire came from. ¡°Do you think it could be an accidental misfire, sir?¡± A man asked a Staff Sergeant. ¡°Impossible, the gunfire is still going,¡± The Staff Sergeant said, shortly before it stopped. ¡°Alright, all Tanks available head over to the POI! The rest will follow shortly after,¡± He shouted. The few tanks that already had their tank crews inside shortly moved to the direction the gunfire came from. As the tanks got closer, they watched a man run past a corner, running towards the tanks. ¡°Hey, looks like a guy running to us, sh-¡± A man said over the radio, before a rumbling in the ground throws all tank crews off guard, as a sudden giant beast comes out from the corner. A winged two-legged dragon-like creature with a barbed tail, with light blue scaly skin, and 50-60 feet tall. The man runs before, the beast finally catches up and crushes the man running with its claw. ¡°JESUS, T-The fuck is that thing?!¡± A man shouted over the radio. The beast slowly looks at the group of tanks before going up to them, and then running. ¡°SHIT, SHIT, SHIT, BACK UP!¡± A man said over the radio as the tanks began to backup. The beast runs after the running away tanks, destroying some by crushing them, or spewing a green liquid from its mouth, destroying some tanks. Then, the tanks that had stayed back had created a formation. ¡°CMON, BLOW THAT FUCKING THING OFF THIS PLANET!¡± The Staff Sergeant shouted. The line formation of tanks fired their shells, many only dealing slight damage, but some shells blew some pieces of its scale skin off. Despite the rounds of shells being fired, the beast still charged forward, destroying part of the line formation, destroying multiple tanks. But, a shell from an M109 Howitzer connects with the beast¡¯s head, blowing its head off, killing the beast, its corpse collapsing on a building as green blood poured out of where its head once was. Despite a win, the casualties are over half of what the group entered the village with, and with no radio equipment due to it being destroyed and little to no medical equipment, it feels more as if they were just outplayed, by a beast of unknown origins. "Alright, quick, let''s get the fuck out of here!" A man shouted. Group Forces Entering the Village- Group Forces Upon Exiting- This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. 0800AM NW Time - First Summer Rise - Twenty First Day - 0789 - Dryadalis Kingdom - Southern Region Vostok and Zapad forces, under the joint command of both Zapad and Vostok Commanders, are marching through the southern heartlands of the Elves. Despite a current peace between both rival countries, there was still hatred for the other side by both sides, but many simply deal with it for now. This group¡¯s mission is to retrieve a rogue wyvern that had escaped and had wreaked havoc in an Elven village. As the group marched closer to the village, explosions could be heard, and once the village had gotten into view the explosions had stopped. ¡°So, do you think we should investigate, or should we keep moving North?¡± A Zapad Captain said to a Vostok one. ¡°Probably for the best, that wyvern like that can create more destruction than both of our armies can in a month. I¡¯d rather not have that thing going around destroying things¡­¡± The Vostok Captain said. The large group marched into the village and followed the footsteps of the wyvern. ¡°My god, it seems as if someone had already dealt with it for us¡­¡± The Zapad Captain said as they slowly approached the corpse of the dead wyvern. The two men stand in silence as their men surround the corpse, both men are speechless. ----- Workers and construction vehicles cut down and flatten down an area to create a main road from the small base at the Super Orbis, all the way to Fort Nixon. Elven observers watch in amazement as things such as excavators, and bulldozers go at work. Of course, these Elven observers are watching from afar, since the workers there are still normal civilians, they wouldn¡¯t want to leak information to civilian workers, and then they accidentally talk about it back home. A portion of the road was already finished, but It¡¯ll take another week or two before it''s fully finished, but its sheer size, being over twice as big as regular roads, may take longer. A car drove down the finished portion of the road down to Fort Nixon. Once the car makes it inside the Fort and park, a man and a woman walk out, William, and Sofie. ¡°Well, here we are, the so-called, ¡°Fort Nixon,¡± William said. ¡°Hmm, oh yeah, here''s an updated file by the way, the one we were given is a bit old,¡± Sofie said, handing him an orange packet. William skims through the packet, taking notes of noticeable things. ¡°Elves¡­ Latin¡­ seems like a lot to take in suddenly,¡± William said. ¡°Well, It is our job. By the way, we''re doing an infiltration mission into Elven society, so the job might be some fun,¡± Sofie said. ¡°Hmm, I hope it is, I¡¯d rather not be almost thrown into a gulag again,¡± Willam said. ¡°Heh, good times those were. Now, cmon, the art department here said they¡¯ll hook us up with some ¡®normal¡¯ Elven look,¡± Sofie said, pointing at a small building. ----- After some hours in the art department, both Sofie and William now look like Elves, both with long blonde wigs, well just William, fake pointed ears, and green contact lenses to hide both their naturally brown eyes. Their clothes are mainly just a green tunic, leather gloves, leather belts, and both have black cloaks. William is wearing cotton pants as if they came straight out of the medieval era, while Sofie wears a long skirt. ¡°Won¡¯t lie you don¡¯t look so bad in that outfit,¡± William said to Sofie. ¡°If that¡¯s your attempt at flirting, you better watch your balls tomorrow,¡± Sofie replied. ¡°Hmm, and, don¡¯t these outfits seem a bit strange to wear?¡± William said. ¡°Eh, I¡¯m not one to judge how someone dresses, but from what I¡¯ve seen so far you do,¡± Sofie said, slowly leaving the room. William follows Sofie outside and out to a Helipad where a man leans against a Boeing CH-47 Chinook. ¡°Ah, you guys don¡¯t like normal Elves, Sofie and William, I presume?¡± The man asked, walking up to them. ¡°Ah, yes, and your name was Thomas, correct?¡± William said. ¡°Please, just Tom, and cmon, your flight is waiting for you guys,¡± Tom said walking back to the Chinook. The three board the Chinook, and it starts up, and flies away. Tom hands both of their helmets with radios so that they could talk. ¡°So, you guys should have some radios and an earbud in your ears, right?¡± Tom asked. ¡°Yup, they had us put on before we put on these ear molds, uncomfortable as hell,¡± Sofie said. ¡°Heh, well, I¡¯ll go ahead and explain your mission again. From what we¡¯ve gathered from the Elves already, this isn¡¯t some information about culture gathering, It¡¯s infiltrating Elven society as a whole.¡± Tom said, ¡°What I mean is that you¡¯ll either have to gather information regarding things such as their Military, Government, and other things we haven¡¯t been told yet. By the way, how¡¯s your Latin you two?¡± Tom asked. ¡°I think we should be alright. But is there anything else we gotta know?¡± William asked Tom. ¡°No, well, nothing in the Information packet, but the Pilot and I will stay here in the Chinook listening in on what you guys are talking from your radios, and we¡¯ll be able to give you guys instructions through your earbuds. Now, sit back and relax. It''ll take an hour before we get to our destination.¡± Modern Warfare 0920AM NW Time - June 23 - 1969 - Dryadalis Kingdom - Southern Region Tanks of the 1st Armored Division rolled down the grassy fields of the Elven South. Spies and scouting teams had reported a massive Zapad-Vostok force marching through the south, possibly aiming for the important Elven coastal city: Anyllunaa. If the coastal city were to be captured, it would not only give up half of the Elven nation, but also cut off important resources, such as magic crystal mines connected to the city. As a way to prevent a battle in the city and having the civilian population dragged into war, portions from the 4th Army of the Hirtheareth Order and the 1st Army of the House of Tharaf are planning to intercept the enemy forces before they march to the city. The U.S is also helping, mainly to gain a supply of magic crystals to experiment with. They¡¯ve sent portions of the 1st Armored Division, and the 104th Infantry Division. The American forces there are under the command of Lieutenant General Hung Dehart, as the Elven forces are under control of Duke Elen Gildi the III. Dehart, a middle-aged veteran of WWII, sits on a hill overlooking a grassy field with a single pathway leading to Anylluna, which is only 30 miles away from where he is now. They had been there for just a few hours, and both armies continued to wait for Zapad and Vostok forces to take them by surprise. As Dehart sits on a tree stump overlooking the plains, Gildi comes behind him while using translation magic. "You have been sitting there since last night, General Dehart," Gildi said with slight concern. "Yeah, but just because I¡¯m a Lieutenant General doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m excused from any responsibility the normal soldier does," Hung said while drinking a cup of coffee. "And please, just call me Hung." "Well, Hung, is it smart to stay up for such a long time, regardless of whether you are able to do so?" Gildi said without the knowledge of caffeine. "But I do appreciate your commitment. I wish there were more people like you." "Yeah, I wish there were too, but there are too many bad apples that in turn rot the rest in the branches, ruining the ones that have barely matured." Hung pointed his cup at the Duke and said, ¡°Have you ever heard of coffee?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe I have.¡± As the two men continued to talk, an Elven scout came running to them. "Sir, Zapad and Vostok forces spotted 5 minutes out! Wyverns in the air have been spotted escorting them!" The scout said, out of breath. "Do we have any idea how big their forces are?" Gildi said, heading back to the main camp along with Hung. "No idea how big their forces are, sir, my apologies!" The Scout said before leaving the two, "Mind explaining what the hell wyverns are?" Hung asked Gildi. "They¡¯re large winged bipedal beasts. Their scales are colored a light blue, with the ability to fly and breathe fire. Their scales are so tough that it¡¯s extremely difficult for even magic to pierce them." "Hmm, a scouting team a few days ago west of here reported a situation of fighting one, but said it was going for head-to-head combat rather than flying." "Those are what we call ground wyverns, far larger than the ones who fly, with twice the thicker armor, making the head the only good area to hit it at, as well as it spewing melt fleshing acid. But, despite having wings, it can¡¯t fly." "Shit, and here I thought it was gonna be an easy battle, but now we gotta get rid of some winged bastard creatures." "Yes, but I¡¯m sure you Americans have some measures to take care of flying enemies?" "Yeah, we have anti-air measures, but it¡¯s not as if we expect to use them, so it¡¯ll take a while for them to be set up,¡± Hung said. Once both men finished talking, they walked into a large tent, where men of both races talked. Translation magic was also being kept by some elven mages, meaning Gildi no longer had to keep his up. "General Hung Dehart, Sir Elen Gildi, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already been told, enemy forces have been spotted heading this way, so we must act quickly," Major General Paul Ward said. "Where are our Divisions currently in place?" Hung asked Ward. "Parts of the 104th Infantry Division, and the 1st Armored Division are currently in place waiting to attack alongside parts of the 4th Army of the Hirtheareth Order. The 1st Army of the House of Tharaf is holding back to provide support. Though some men from them are still getting ready. "Do we know exact numbers yet or is that still unknown?" Gildi asked his own men. "Not yet, sir. But we know they have at least a few dozen wyverns in the sky, and possibly some ground wyverns," an elf responded. ¡°Ward, are our anti-air guns already set into place?¡± Hung asked. ¡°Uh, well, not exactly sir, all anti-air guns were all set to the back due to many not thinking they would have even been used¡­¡± ¡°And how far long back are they¡­?¡± ¡°Well, the enemy forces will be here sooner than the guns¡­¡± "God damn it! Now we have to give ourselves time to set up anti air defences against those wyverns, and deal with those on the ground," Hung said. "Gildi, what else is important to know about these Goddamn beasts on the ground?" "Well, as I said, the ground wyverns are ferocious beasts, but they are hard to maintain and control." Gildi said. "If we are able to free them from their chains, they could cause havoc on the enemy, possibly giving you enough time to set up the anti-air measurements," Gildi responded. "And how on earth are we gonna let those damn beasts free in the first place?" A man said. "Magicians from the 1st Army of the House of Tharaf should be able to unchain them with magic from a distance, but it¡¯ll have to be done in an open area rather than the mess of trees they¡¯re marching through, otherwise the magic might fail," an elf said. After some discussion, a plan was finalized in a rush. The Americans and Elves were to wait in camouflage for Zapad and Vostok forces to march out into the open grass field from the forest they¡¯re marching from. Once out in the open, magicians from the 1st Army of the House of Tharaf will use magic to unchain the ground wyverns, hoping they¡¯ll cause havoc. Once the Zapad and Vostok forces are distracted, as well as the wyverns in the sky, it¡¯ll hopefully give enough time for anti-air measurements to be set, as well as the divisions to be set into place. If either the wyverns have killed a substantial number of enemies, or if the wyverns are killed, the Elves and the Americans attack, and defeat the remaining forces. "It¡¯s a bit of a long shot, don¡¯t you think? It requires a bit of luck for it to really work," an elf said. "Yes, but If we possibly want minimal casualties, this long shot of a plan is probably our best shot at winning," Gildi said. After some more talking, the plan was approved by both sides, and everyone went to get ready. --------- After a few minutes, the forces of Zapad and Vostok march out of the forest and onto the path in the open grassy field. As they marched out of the forest, six large ground wyverns were chained up, being guided by what could be dozens of magihorses for each, and being kept calm by magicians. "My, don¡¯t those ground wyverns look bigger than they usually look¡­?" A magician from Tharaf asked Gildi, who¡¯s leading them himself. "Yes, they most certainly are¡­ They must be feeding them something special. But, our plan will not change. We shall continue with what we planned. " "But, we haven¡¯t even thought of the most important part, how are we even going to get close?" This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Hm, please just leave that to me," Gildi said, standing from his hiding position. Gildi grabs his golden longbow from his back and grabbed an arrow beside him. As he pulled it back, the tip of the arrow began to glow. "Alright, I recommend you men close your eyes once I fire this arrow," Gildi said, right as he shot the arrow at the marching troops. All the men quickly closed their eyes. Those unfortunate enough to not understand what was going on had the unfortunate feeling of their eyes being burned off as a bright light flashed in front of them. Once the light dispersed, the ground wyverns began to struggle against their chains, aggravated from the sudden flash. The enemy forces, blinded by the light, had no idea what was going on. Many ran rampant, and many were killed by the wyverns. The only ones not blinded were the wyverns in the sky. "Alright, move forward, and men, remember what we are fighting for!" Gildi shouted at his men. The magicians from Tharaf moved closer, without much fear. Once the magicians got close enough, they used their magic to release the chains on the six wyverns, which succeeded. As they quickly backed away as the ground wyverns wreaked havoc, a man grabbed onto Gildi¡¯s shoulder. "Uh, Sir, I-i think a wyvern is staring at us," A man said, pointing at a wyvern as it slowly looked in their direction. "I-isn¡¯t it supposed to be blinded still?" Gildi said in a panicked voice. As they continued to run back, the ground wyvern slowly began to run towards them. As the men frantically ran, many were killed, either by being crushed, or by toxic acid being spewed on them. Gildi quickly ran back to his bundle of arrows and grabbed one, and as he pulled it back, the tip of the arrow began to glow red. Once he fired the arrow at the wyvern, and it exploded in its face. But once the dust settled, it did nothing more but anger the wyvern and turn its attention to him. "That''s right, you beast, come here!" Gildi ran away from the main group running, and the wyvern gave chase. Of course, it¡¯s impossible for him to outrun such a thing, but as long as he¡¯s able to divert its attention from his men, he doesn¡¯t care if he dies or not. As Gildi ran, suddenly more explosions rocked the wyvern, tanks from the U.S. 1st Armored Division. The shells had damaged some of its scales, but it didn¡¯t stop it. "Shit, unless those things can pierce its scales, there¡¯s no way they can easily kill that wyvern!" Gildi said to himself. The wyvern started to charge at the mass of tanks lined up, but a shell from one rocked the side of the wyvern¡¯s face, causing a large hole on the side of its face. It staggered back as more shells hit its face, and it died soon after when a straight shell hit its face, spilling its upper mouth open.Gildi stood in shock for a minute before a slap to his back from Hung, and Gildi immediately activated his translation magic. "Well, it seems as if you¡¯re having some fun, and we can see that some of those giant beasts have already been killed, as well as the majority of those poor bastards down there," Hung said, pointing at the dead bodies of ground wyverns and dead Vostok and Zapad forces. "Yes, and it still seems like the wyverns in the air are still too busy dealing with the ground wyverns to notice us. I assume that your anti-air defences are ready?" Gildi said. "Well, of course. But, we have changed the plan a bit. I mean, you think we were going to let you have all the glory? " Hugh said as he reached for a radio on his hip. "Alright, LET LOOSE! Oh, and uh, cover your ears, Mr. Gildi." Upon saying this, artillery and anti-air guns from behind them began to fire, causing massive explosions on the enemy. Anti-air guns fired upon the flying wyverns, tearing them apart, and turning them into nothing but mist of blood. The remaining ground wyverns were torn apart from the constant blows from the artillery, meaning their heavy and tough scales meant nothing. The Zapad and Vostok forces didn¡¯t do much better, their armor was enforced, but only enforced from blunt attacks, not high power explosions that could tear them apart. The proud combined army of over 15,000 soldiers, were reduced to a meager 2,000 survivors. "My, I do somewhat feel bad for the sorry bastards down there¡­" Gildi said. "Yes, but this is a war, and that means we have to do anything we have to do," Hung said. 1240AM NW Time - June 25 - 1969 - Dryadalis Kingdom - Anyllunaa U.S soldiers patrol through the streets of the Elven city on M-715s, with their Elven counterparts. They¡¯re there to not only help establish the U.S navy by using the harbors there, but to as well as to gain access to the magic crystals from the mines in the city. The Elven civilians there were confused by the Americans, but gladly accepted them due to reports of Americans helping in pushing back the Zapad and Vostok forces. The American soldiers took this whole heartedly, many simply taking the opportunity to get free things, mainly alcohol. But, the older ones amongst the soldiers, (those in their 30¡¯s or 40¡¯s) didn¡¯t necessarily share the same view points on the Elves, but they were often ignored. As the M-715 drove down a small stone road as the driver and another man talked. ¡°Can you believe they¡¯re gonna try to get the navy here, Nick? Like, are they gonna build new ships or are they gonna disassemble some ships from back home and reassemble them here?¡± The driver said. ¡°You really worry about that Anderson? Well, I bet it''ll be expensive as hell to bring resources from back home to build new ships for no real reason. Reassembling them Is probably easier, but I¡¯m just guessing out of my ass,¡± Nick said. As the two kept talking, they came across a road block, caused by a carriage filled with supplies tipped over, causing it to spill all over the road. ¡°Shit, should we help, or should we just find a different route?¡± Anderson said. ¡°Cmon, let¡¯s help, I¡¯m sure the Elves in the back can translate for us with their¡­ It¡¯s called magic right?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, and yeah It¡¯s called that,¡± Anderson said, turning off the truck, and climbing out of the truck, before being followed by Nick. As they walked out, the Elven soldiers that were staying in the back also came out to help. ----- After a while of helping out to clear the road, they get back to the truck. As they headed to the truck, Anderson noticed a young boy at the corner of the street, stealing some bread off a store window. ¡°Uh, Nick, you don¡¯t mind looking after the truck, I gotta catch myself a thief,¡± Anderson said, throwing the keys to Nick, which he promptly catched. ¡°The hell are you wasting your time catching a kid for?¡± ¡°Well, I want to keep the reputation we have right now, since I enjoy the free stuff,¡± Anderson said, before running after the thief. Anderson ran past the corner where the kid ran, as he followed the trail of dropped items on the sidewalk. Eventually, he caught him by the scruff of his neck in an alleyway. As the kid struggled against Andersons grip, Anderson noticed a large pile of stolen tools, and jewelry. ¡°Would you look at that, I got an experienced thief on my hands,¡± Anderson said. Anderson examined the thief he caught. Torn clothes, scars over his body and face, and seeming to be extremely scrawny. ¡°Jesus¡­ now I just sorta feel bad¡­¡± As Anderson thought to himself, a couple of Elves walked into the alleyway. They look like police in his mind, they don¡¯t look like an Elven soldier due to not wearing any heavy armor, but they do seem to have the Elven symbol on their shoulder, two swords and a crown. They say something in Latin to him, with a bit of aggression in their voices. But, Anderson showed them the American Flag emblem on his shoulder, and they all immediately stopped what they were saying. After a while, Anderson had let go of the kid, but making sure he couldn¡¯t run away, as Anderson watched the people who he assumed were the Elven police take away the items the thief had taken. But, Anderson felt bad for him, mainly for the rough conditions the child thief is in. Anderson sighs, and pulls out a candy bar, a Butterfinger, from his chest pocket. He then grabs a small book with Latin words and phrases that were distributed to all U.S soldiers currently in the New World. ¡°Uhhh, Hic, aliqua vera American stuff¡­ think I said that right¡­¡± Anderson said, as he put the Butterfinger into the kid¡¯s hand. He seemed confused for a second, but Anderson left the alleyway before the kid could say anything. ----- The Elven child looked at the strange thing the American gave him. He wasn¡¯t even sure what it was, and he couldn¡¯t ask the American since he was gone, nor did he sound like he spoke very good Elvish. It felt smooth, and a bright yellow, with what seemed like words were on it though he couldn¡¯t read it. He messes with it for a while, until he accidentally tears it, revealing something underneath it. He tears at it a bit more before the upper half of a dark bar is revealed. He looked at it for a bit, but he noted how sweet it smells. He looked at it for a second, before breaking a piece off, and eating it. The taste of sugar exploded in his mouth as he ate the rest. After he ate the whole thing, his friends came running down the alleyway. ¡°Kieran, you ok?¡± One of the boys said, running to him. ¡°Hmm? Orist, Rydon? What are you guys doing here?¡± Kieran said. ¡°We just saw some enforcement officers pass by here with all the stuff you stole!¡± Orist, the shortest of them, said. ¡°T-they didn¡¯t hurt you, did they?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, one of those¡­ Americans¡­? Got me out of trouble with them, though I doubt I¡¯m completely off the hook.¡± ¡°Americans? Oh, those fighting out in the south, why''d one bother their time with you?¡± Rydon said. ¡°Sorta got caught stealing some bread, and I thought I would be able to get away¡­¡± ¡°Dang, and what¡¯s with that thing in your hand by the way?¡± Orist said. ¡°Ah, uh, I don¡¯t know, that American gave it to me and a really sweet bar was underneath it, so I ate it.¡± ¡°Do you think they have more of those?¡± Rydon said. ¡°Probably¡­ I think we can follow them and probably get more¡­¡± Kieran said. ¡°I won¡¯t lie you guys, that sounds like a stupid plan,¡± Orist said. ¡°Well, I really don¡¯t care about your opinion, Orist,¡± Rydon said. With that, the three went to follow the American, with Kieran leading the way. ----- After an hour of asking around the city where the Americans were, they eventually arrived at a large fenced off area. In the distance, they could see a large harbor, with a large thing covered by a fabric. Though they didn¡¯t understand what It was for, since it was so far away from the main harbors. ¡°Woah, what do you guys think this place is?¡± Orist said. ¡°Who knows, maybe there¡¯s some super secret big project there?¡± Kieran said. The three kids argue for a while, until an alarming noise booms in their ears from the harbor. Looking back at it, they watch as three figures run away and towards the nearby woods, as what seemed like beams of light appeared, hitting two of them. One of the figures, though, managed to escape past the gate, and into the nearby woods. The three kids go into the woods to where they thought the figure might be, but Instead they find nothing more than a brown cloak, with holes and blood on it. Tattered Relations 0340AM NW Time - First Summer Rise - Twenty sixth Day - 0789 - Infirmi Kingdom - Infirmi Forest Because of Colton¡¯s decision to use his sword, he had gotten him, Dow, and Octavius arrested and sentenced to hang. But, thanks to Dow¡¯s skill as a thief, he was able to help Coltone and Octavius escape the prison as well as grab all the gear they had on them, and now all three were on the run. ¡°Can we just please stop now¡­! We¡¯ve been running for days¡­¡± Dow complained. ¡°I have to agree with Dow, Coltone. We didn¡¯t even grab our magihorses, and we left all of our crucial supplies on them!¡± Octavius, just like Dow, complained. ¡°Oh, cmon, we¡¯re almost where I wanna be. Plus, if you want to be captured by bounty hunters tracking us, please, go ahead.¡± Despite Octavius¡¯s and Dow¡¯s complaints, Coltone kept moving. Where is he going exactly? He¡¯s heading to a village where he grew up, in hopes to not only stay there for a few days, but to also gain supplies for their long journey. ¡°Man, my stomach feels like It¡¯s gonna tear itself apart¡­ can we just eat some-¡± Before Dow could finish, Coltone covered his mouth with a hand. Coltone covered Dow¡¯s mouth, and put a finger to his lips. Coltone dragged him behind a tree and Octavius followed. As the trio waited in silence, the noise of hooves from magihorses are getting closer. They all waited before a group of people on magihorses stopped where they just were. ¡°God damn it, these guys are some slippery fuckers,¡± One said. ¡°Yeah, it seems as if their tracks end here, let¡¯s head back, for now, I doubt they¡¯ll be able to survive out at this time,¡± Another said. The group went back where they came from, and the three emerged from their hiding spot. ¡°Jeez, how much farther is it until we reach your damn village,¡± Dow asked Coltone. ¡°Not much farther. In fact, I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s a shortcut to it nearby.¡± Coltone walked past the greenery of the forest, as Dow and Octavius followed behind him. ----- After an hour of walking in the forest, the trio finally comes across a clearing on a hill overlooking a village. ¡°So, I guess this is our destination?¡± Dow asked. ¡°Yup, Pran Village, my home,¡± Coltone said, turning around to find a way down to the village. After a few minutes, they managed to walk into the sleeping village. Eventually, Coltone walked to a house larger than the rest and knocked on the door. After knocking and waiting for a few seconds, the light from a lantern from inside shined through the window. ¡°What the hell¡­ who¡¯s knocking at this fucking hour of the day¡­¡± The voice of a middle aged man could be heard behind the door. The door then swung open, and a middle aged man holding a lantern in front of the trio¡¯s face. ¡°H-huh¡­? Coltone? Is that you?¡± The middle aged man said. ¡°Heh, how are you doing, Uncle Lichter¡­?¡± ¡°Haha! You big fucking bastard!¡± Lichter said, putting down the lantern, and hugged Coltones. ¡°You know I should be mad you never bothered to visit for the last 5 years, but at least you decided to come!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ nice to see you too, Mr. Lux,¡± Octavius said. ¡°Oh! Octavius, still a fat bastard as always,¡± Lichter said, before looking at Dow. ¡°Oh, a Beast-Kin? Well, what¡¯s your name, mate?¡± Lichter said, shaking Dow¡¯s hand. ¡°N-names Dow.¡± ¡°Dow, huh. Well, come on in, I¡¯m sure you boys must be hungry since I can clearly see you have no equipment or supplies on you,¡± Lichter said, inviting them in. ¡°Alright, uh, Dow, and Octavius, there should be a supply shack behind the house, would you two mind going back there to get some rabbit meat to make you lot something to eat.¡± ¡°Aw, do we really gotta-¡± Dow said, before being grabbed by the back of the collar from Octavius. ¡°Cmon, you furry bastard, you are helping,¡± Octavius said, dragging Dow to the back. ¡°Cmon, Coltone, sit for a bit, I want to talk to you a bit,¡± Lichter said, grabbing some alcohol from a shelf. ¡°Well, what do you want to talk about, Uncle?¡± Coltone said, before sitting down at a table. ¡°It¡¯s just, I didn¡¯t expect that you out of all people would be traveling with a Beast-Kin, given your past with them¡­ Do you ever miss your home¡­?¡± Coltone stayed silent, his uncle was talking about a tragic memory of his life. The moment where a rogue Beast-Kin group raided and burnt his village to the ground. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have brought that memory back to the surface¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. I don¡¯t necessarily like Dow, but I will trust him for the time being. But, I am not afraid to kill him if I feel if It¡¯s necessary.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I at least hope you understand the differences between those from back then, and the Beast-Kin of now.¡± The two sit in silence, taking occasional sips of alcohol, before Dow and Octavius come back with the meat. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Perfect, you boys get comfortable, It¡¯ll take a bit for me to cook these for ya,¡± Lichter said, taking the meat from Dow and Octavius. As Dow and Octavius sat at the table, Octavius noticed an uneasy feeling emanating from Coltone, but Dow didn¡¯t seem to notice. Octavius then decided to try and ease the tension with some small talk. ¡°So, Coltone, do you know where your Aunt is perchance?¡± Octavius asked Coltone. ¡°Auntie died a year ago,¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± Now that Octavius had ruined the mood even further, the three simply waited until Lichter came back with food. After a quick meal, Lichter let the trio stay for the night. The trio agreed, and after a while, they all head to bed ----- As Dow attempted to sleep, he could feel his body forcing him to stay awake. ¡°Shit, I need to take a piss¡­¡± Dow whispered to himself. Dow slowly got up, scratching his chest through the thin tank top he¡¯s wearing. As he walked through the dark hallway as his eyes adapted to the darkness. ¡°Shit, I don¡¯t even know where the bathroom is¡­ guess I¡¯ll just walk around till I find it.¡± As he slowly walked, he bumped into a nightstand, nearly tipping it over but keeping it balanced with his tail. As he set the nightstand back into place, he stared at it for a while. ¡°I¡¯m sure no one¡¯s gonna see me do this¡­¡± Dow said, before opening the drawer. Once he opened it, he found a simple letter on a crude piece of paper, despite it being too dark, he used magic to summon a small flame from his hand, and it gave barely enough light to read it. Dow then began to read the letter in his head. ¡°Dear Uncle Lichter. It has been some time since we have seen each other, and have sent a letter. But, I hope that you forgive me, and I wish that you are well. I have also received your letter of the passing of Auntie Eveline, and I hope that you continue to live a fruitful life. Also, I had seen what you had written in the last letter you sent me, and I ask that we not talk about the incident 14 years ago. Those memories of those barbaric Beast-Kin still give me nightmares, and I remembered promising you I¡¯d slay every single one of them when I was younger. But, I shouldn¡¯t continue talking about this, but I wonder how the village is going? Is it difficult to run a small village? I¡¯m running out of space here, so I shall go. First Spring Rise - Eighth Day - 0788 - Signed, Coltone Wagner.¡± As Dow read the letter, not paying attention to his surrounding, a sudden hand grabbed his shoulder, and he pushed the person back and nearly yelled. ¡°Hey, shut your mouth! You¡¯re gonna wake up Octavius and my Uncle!¡± Coltone whispered, as he shut Dow¡¯s mouth with the palm of his hand. As Coltone shut Dow up, he noticed the paper in Dow¡¯s hand, he grabbed it from his hand. Coltone briefly looked at the paper, before looking back to Dow. ¡°How much did you read?¡± Coltone asked, in a semi-threatening voice. ¡°Uh, enough..¡± Dow said. Coltone stared blankly at Dow, before simply turning back to his room. Dow stood there for a minute, before going back to his room too. ----- The next day, the trio walk into the forest again, to fulfill a request Lichter had asked them to do. ¡°So, Cotlone, what did your uncle want us to do anyway?¡± Octavius asked. ¡°Uncle said that some of their supplies have gone missing. Food, tools, hell, even some of the livestock have been found missing. Uncle said that a while back a father and son had seen a strange person, the father attempted to confront him, but was knocked out,¡± Coltone said. ¡°So this strange person¡¯s been stealing everything they can from the village? Do we even have an idea where they might be?¡± Octavius asked again. ¡°They found some footsteps last week, said it went in the direction of a cave, but they never bothered to try and enter it to confront the person.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t they just go inside and get rid of him themselves?¡± Dow asked, but Coltone ignored him, before Octavius responded to him. ¡°They probably didn¡¯t want to risk losing the men of the village. If more men die to just kill one person, it¡¯ll weaken the ability the village has to defend itself and gather things like meat.¡± ¡°Well, I guess that makes sense, but do we really gotta do this for them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the most we can do after Lichter had let us stay for the night,¡± Octavius said. As the trio walked, Coltone stopped them after spotting an arrow carved into a tree pointing to the right. ¡°Uncle said something about those who found the cave had carved an arrow into a tree to remember where it is. Let¡¯s go,¡± Cotlone said, going in the direction of the arrow, as Dow and Octavius followed closely behind. As the trio went in the direction of the arrow, they hid behind bushes and trees as they came across a cave, with multiple decorations outside, possibly to keep people away. ¡°This looks like the place¡­¡± Coltone whispered. ¡°Sure looks like it¡­ shit, someone¡¯s coming out¡­¡± Octavius said. Then, a man holding a sword, and a strange yellow suit tied around his waist. The shirt the man wore was worn down and had cuts all around it, the strange yellow leggings he wore seemed as if they came from the yellow suit tied around his waist. His face was Sputnik Aeons, with cuts and bruises around his body. The man looked around for a second before saying something in a language they didn¡¯t recognize, before walking off into the woods. ¡°Looks like our guy¡­ seems like he made quite the collection¡­¡± Coltone said. After a bit more of waiting, the trio walked into the cave site, examining the place. As they looked around, Dow walked into the dimly lit cave, as Coltone and Octavius stayed outside. As Dow looked around, he found a strange rectangular object, feeling it for a second, he found it strangely smooth. What was on it though he didn¡¯t understand, words he didn¡¯t understand, a strange emblem of an eagle holding an olive branch in one claw, and arrows in the other. He also saw a strangely realistic painting on it of the man he saw earlier, possibly him from some time ago. As well, he saw something else that caught his eye, what he believed to be a flag. 13 horizontal red and white stripes, and he counted to be 50 stars on a blue banner on the top left. While he may not recognize it, he figured a country like that exists out there since he doesn¡¯t know everything about the world. ¡°Hey! Dow! You find anything interesting?¡± Octavius said, shouting into the cave. ¡°Nah, at least I don¡¯t think,¡± Dow said. Coltone and Octavius walked into the cave, only finding equipment from the village which were heavily used. As they continued to look around, a sudden explosion brought their attention back inside. Once outside, they could all see smoke rising in the air. ¡°I-isn¡¯t that in the direction of the village?!¡± Dow said. Coltone immediately began running in the direction, and Dow and Coltone quickly tried to keep up. Dow and Octavius quickly followed behind Coltone as they ran back to the village, and the pillar of smoke continued to rise. As they got closer, they could hear the hooves of magihorses, and as they got to a clearing, they saw the village up in flames, as they saw bounty hunters on magihorses, cutting down any survivors. Soviet Supremacy 0920AM NW Time - June 26 - 1969 - Infirim Kingdom - Conquered City Yakovich sits at his desk as he looks at documents from back home. Details of the U.S military strangely gathering up in their eastern states. Soviet spies had reported a large facility with heavy defence, letting only a select few enter. This left everyone in the party and Yakovich puzzled, with how heavy security is, the only Soviet spy that managed to get inside was nearly killed, so plans on infiltrating are already being drawn up. Not only was this being told to Yakovich, he also gained a paper detailing their findings in Kazakhstan, which will explain his confusion when reinforcements and resources suddenly appeared. While most of the document is redacted, he¡¯s able to make out most of it regardless. In short, a new way to transport men and other things to the New World was found, and it¡¯s been found to be even more useful than the one in the Russian East, due to it not only not emanating radiation, but as well being able to transport larger vehicles, such as planes and state of the art tanks. After reading the full paper, Yakovich grabbed a lighter and burned the paper in a blaze, as he was instructed. But, also detailed in the paper was instructions to attempt to find a government willing to form relations with the Soviet Union, or by any other means, for the sole purpose of attempting to understand more of what they know little about, and expand their sphere of influence. As Yakovich sat there in his chair in his now furnished office, overlooking the reconstruction and of the city, a sudden knock on the door interrupted him. ¡°Sir, Mr. Vasil Nikitovich has arrived and asked to speak with you, and more reports have arrived for you,¡± The voice of a woman said behind the door. Yakovich opens the door, and in steps a large black haired man with a beard walks in, as a woman in a red dress walks behind him. ¡°Yakovich! It¡¯s been a few years since I¡¯ve seen you,¡± Vasil said, sitting down. ¡°It has been a while, one, two years? Last time we saw each other we were out in Poland, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Yakovich said. ¡°Yup, helping to get rid of some protestors, quite the time that was¡­¡± Vasil said. The two continued to talk about their past, as the woman laid documents on Yakovich''s desk, before leaving. ¡°Anyways, why did you come? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not here to just visit me,¡± Yakovich said, looking through the documents. ¡°Course not, I¡¯m here to ask if I could do something? Well, less of me asking, but more of being told to help you.¡± ¡°Ehh, in that case there is something you can do. Got some prisoners in a dungeon in this house, and I think you already know what to do. Just find out what they know about the area.¡± ¡°Alright, and I won¡¯t be restricted in my ¡®technique¡¯, right?¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s not too messy, I¡¯m willing to keep my mouth closed.¡± With this answer, Vasil grinned, before leaving. ¡°Alright, thanks, Yakovich, and good luck with staying in an office chair all week,¡± Vasil said, leaving. With that, Vasil left, and Yakovich went back to reading documents, sighing at the fact that Vasil was right. 0520PM NW Time - July 1st - 1969 - Infirim Kingdom - Grassland An Su-7b flew in the air of the Infirmi Kingdom, scouting ahead for a party farther behind it. As the Su-7b continued to fly, the pilot was interrupted by a radio transmission. ¡°Zvezda 1-2, this is Zvesda 1-3, state your current status,¡± The man on the other side said. ¡°Zvezda 1-3, this is Zvezda 1-2, air looks good, no signs of those flying lizards anywhere, city is in my sights,¡± The man responded. ¡°Zvezda 1-2, this is Zvesda 1-3, return back to the others, and continue to escort the division.¡± ¡°Zvezda 1-3, this is Zvezda 1-2, understood, turning back now.¡± The 7b quickly turned back around, and linked up with the other planes. Su-7b, Tu-16, and Yak-28 were all in the group, staying at a low speed, and altitude to assist the division below them. The 1st Separate Tank Battalion Somalia, consisting of a broad assortment of tanks and heavy vehicles, from T-62, and T-72 tanks, and BMP-1, MT-LB, BRDM-2 armoured fighting vehicles, supporting artillery, mortars and transport vehicles, and Mi-8s to carry troops. As the Division arrived in the designated area, the Mi-8s landed, and troops began to exit from the Mi-8s, troops from the Donetsk Guard corps. The 1st Separate Tank Battalion Somalia Numbers - Yakovich stepped off a Mi-8 and watched as the troops began to set up a camp. The camp was only temporary, only going to be used to use a setup to invade the city. The city itself wasn¡¯t special, an average looking large city from the medieval age, but it supposedly had something crucial to the nation''s economy, and military power. The camp was set up on a large hill, covered by nature. As Yakovich looked over the construction of the temporary camp, Vasil came up behind him. ¡°So, an assault on a city, this is something you won¡¯t see much of back home. Much less a medieval one,¡± Vasil said. ¡°Won¡¯t be my first time, but it won''t be any less chaotic,¡± Yakovich said. The planes whipped past them, returning back to base, after confirming no enemy scouts in the area, and returning back to base, and they¡¯ll wait until the time to assault the city begins. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°So, what happens now? We just gonna hop to city and city, going ahead and taking over city by city, until we take over the entire world?¡± Vasil said, grabbing a Makarov off a crate. ¡°Course not, we plan to obviously do diplomatic missions as well, but for now we¡¯re loosely instructed on what to do, I interpret them the way I want to. Which means, we do what I think is the best, no excuses,¡± Yakovich said. ¡°You sound like those fools back in Moscow, I worry you¡¯ll be nothing more than those fools who sit on their ass all damn day.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, unlike those in Moscow, I know what war is like, and I know how not to be a dumbass,¡± Yakovich said, lighting a cigarette. Yakovich smoked a cigarette as Vasil walked off, leaving Yakovich to himself. He sat on the ground, as he looked at the small city with binoculars, a single manor resting upon a large hill, as smaller, cramped homes rested below it, before a man walked up to him. ¡°C-commander Yakovich, here¡¯s the map of the city that you had requested,¡± The man said, handing him a packet. The man walked away, and Yakovich opened the packet, looking at the map of the city from overhead. Yakovich looked at it for a second, before he suddenly got up, and remembered something Vasil said. He slowly walked away from where he sat, walking off to a tent. Inside the tent, are men setting a large table, map, and radios. Yakovich walks to a large map on a board, mapping out everything. As he looked at the mouth, a man walked into the tent, before saluting to Yakovich. ¡°C-commander Yakovich, I-i didn¡¯t expect you to be here. W-would you wish for me to call your officers for you?¡± The man asked. ¡°Yes, please do so, and have them hurry. I want to go over the plan again.¡± ----- The officers all walked into the large tent, and stood around a table with a map of the city laid out on it. The men wait around nervously for Yakovich, who is still looking at the map. ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone here already knows the plan, destroy the walls, destroy military installations, and take over the city. Though it¡¯s not as simple as that, I¡¯m sure everyone understands,¡± Yakovich said. ¡°Y-yes, Commander Yakovich, but if i can say, for what reason are we going over this¡­? We already went over this before we came here,¡± A commander said. ¡°Well, I had just remembered something. You see, Vasl, a friend, had interrogated some prisoners underneath the manor that we are currently using as a base. He reported that the man he interrogated, the same man who commanded the force trying to take back the city we have, said that this city has a large supply of... crystals.¡± The officers all looked blankly at Yakovich, before looking at each other, not sure how to respond to Yakovich. ¡°C-crystals¡­? C-commander Yakovich, what the hell will we do with crystals¡­?¡± A commander said. The men all talked for a bit, not sure whether to take Yakovich seriously or not. ¡°Commander Yakovich, what will these crystals even be useful for? Will we use them to shoot lasers at the enemies?¡± An officer said, causing a few laughs from the others. The few people laughing soon turned into the entire group laughing, but Yakovich stands there, soon breaking the laugh with the shot from a revolver into the air. ¡°Are you all finished laughing? If you must know, these crystals are apparently a very valuable bargaining tool, and used as a power source like coal has for hundreds of years back home. As well as that, they have some sort of untapped power in them, so yes, maybe we''ll be shooting lasers at our enemies soon. But, what is important is that we capture the apparent large supply of them in the west side of the city as our forces invade through the east, a small team will go through the west side while the defenders of the city are focused in the east, and ensure the protection and extraction of them,¡± Yakovich said, before lighting a cigarette. ¡°But, sir, if these crystals are bargaining tools, then why does the city have such a large abundance of it? Could the man have been lying?¡± An officer asked. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t confirm that. The man Vasil had enterogted committed suicide by basing his head against the walls when none of the guards were watching him. But, my hypothesis is that the city is a natural producer of these crystals, and if we cut off the producer, like cutting off the food supply for a country, they¡¯ll surely starve. If it is true they are a power source like coal or something even more, we will have a very good barging tool for us,¡± Yakovich said, walking to a table, and pouring a cup of vodka. The officers were all looking at each other, still not sure if they should say something, but none of them knew what to say, but all simply agreed with Yakovich. ¡°So everyone here understands? Good,¡± Yakovich said, before sharing shot glasses around everyone, and giving everyone drinks of vodka. ¡°To your health!¡± The men all cheered, as they all hit their shot glasses together, and took shots of vodka. 1105PM NW Time - July 1st - 1969 - Infirim Kingdom - Grassland The Yak-28s flew in the darkness of the night, as the Su-7 and Tu-16s escorted them. They flew high over the clouds, before lowering down upon getting close to the POI. ¡°Zvezda 1-1, this is command, report situation.¡± ¡°Command, this is Zvezda 1-1, approaching the POI, Eta in five minuets.¡± ¡°Understood, Zvezda 1-1, continue with your mission.¡± As the plane group got closer, the light of the torches on the city walls began to illuminate below them. ¡°Looks like they lit up some light for our arrival!¡± A man said over the radio. ¡°Yup, feel sorry for these bastards, they have no idea what¡¯s about to happen. Now remember, no civilian targets, we are at least respectful, unlike the American bastards in Vietnam,¡± Another man said. ¡°Alright, shut it you two, bombers! Open your doors, and prepare to drop your payload on the walls!¡± Command said. The Yak-28s bomb doors open, preparing to drop the bombs on the walls, to allow the main force in. The bombers spread out, to achieve greater success and allowing multiple entrances. ¡°Dropping payload!¡± A man said, as the bombs dropped, falling onto the walls below. ----- Two men stand on the walls, guards, overlooking the dark grasslands in front of them. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this job is a bit boring?¡± One of the guards said, leaning against the entrance into a tower. ¡°Don¡¯t act like that mate. Plus, haven¡¯t you heard about the news in the east? Someone¡¯s taken over the city in the Miserabilis Region? What if they come for the Stultus Region next?!¡± The other said. ¡°Calm down. We¡¯re still here, still alive, we won¡¯t be killed so easily, not yet at least.¡± The two men stood in silence, until the noise of whistling above them caught their attention. ¡°Hey, what the fuck is th-¡± Before he could finish, a flash of flame engulfs them both, killing them, as peices of the wall break off from the explosion. ----- Yakovich stands in the darkness of the trees alongside 1st Separate Tank Battalion Somalia as the explosion causes pieces of the wall to fall down, exposing the insides of the city. He merely watches the scene as the lit cigarette slowly burnt, until it burns his hand, and he throws it onto the ground. ¡°Vasil, is the western group eady?¡± Yakovich said into a radio. ¡°All is good, waiting for you,¡± Vasil responded. Yakovich stands there for a second, watching as the explosions slowly died down. ¡°Alright, go ahead,¡± Yakovich said through the radio. Yakovich stood there, before he commanded the Battalion to move forward. As the noise and shaking of tanks moved forward, he saw as the cigarette from earlier slowly began to burn the ground. He looked back at the city as he watched the tanks rolled in, and he faintly heard the screams of the terrified populace. He stomped on the cigarette, as he watched fire slowly rise from the city, and lit another cigarette. What a Rebellious Group 0600AM NW Time - July 2nd - 1969 - US Territory - US Military Base Burton walked through the hallways of the now finished research lab that they created some months prior. He drank his cup of coffee as others like him walked through the hallways, to continue their research of magic. Originally, Burton had worked to help on keeping the relationship with the Elves, but Lieutenant General, Hal Moore had taken over the position, allowing Burton to help research magic and other such things like the unusual magic crystals. Burton continued to walk until reaching a hallway and walked up to a door, unlocking it with a key. He entered a lab, as multiple men walked around, carrying boxes of equipment, and magic crystals. Typing of keyboards fill the room, and the sound of machines, working away, as men look at papers. Burton examines the room, before walking to a small door, labeled, ¡®Sigmund Heinz Office.'' Burton takes a second to think, before knocking on the door. ¡°C-coming! Just hold on a second! Too much shit on the floor¡­¡± Sigmund said on the other side of the door, before opening it. Upon opening the door, Burton could see multiple papers, and boxes all littered on the floor of the office room. ¡°Ah! Burton, It¡¯s good to see you,¡± Sigmund said, shaking Burton¡¯s hand. ¡°Well, It has been some time since we¡¯ve talked, and I also got the letter you sent me. Something about the Elven bodies, no?¡± ¡°Yes, this way,¡± Sigmund said, walking out of the office and to another door on the opposite side of the research room. Upon entering the room, Burton could see dozens of coffee cups on the floor, paper scattered about, and multiple boards with x-ray pictures on them. ¡°Now, I have a lot of things I personally wanted to discuss with you before I put it into a report,¡± Sigmund said, grabbing a few of the x-ray photos. ¡°Now, a few weeks back I believe, we were rudely interrupted, and I was about to talk about an Organ, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I believe so, but why not just say this to me in a letter?¡± ¡°Well, I think It¡¯s better to talk face to face, the mind generally remembers things more face to face rather than reading text.¡± Sigmund walked to the other side of the room, before grabbing a large anatomy of the human body. ¡°Now, here we have the heart, and all of our other organs, and Elves actually have an identical anatomy like us, but what I found is that the Elves have another heart-shaped organ, underneath their heart, behind the liver.¡± ¡°So, another heart¡­?¡± ¡°Well, sort of, but It could help answer how the hell they¡¯re able to use magic. Thanks to the elven government, and volunteers, we¡¯ve already got some videos and papers on some elves doing magic,¡± Sigmund said as he passed papers on test studies of elves using magic. ¡°From shooting fire from their hands, water coming from their hands, hell, there was one that literally dissolved a rock! LIKE HOW THE FUCK DO-¡± But before Sigmund could finish what he was about to say, Burton slapped him. ¡°Listen, mate, I think you¡¯re going a little bit crazy and going off track of what you originally wanted to say.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes, thank you, mate¡­ This is my hypothesis, and that is this special organ, which I¡¯m calling the second heart, is practically identical to the heart, but has a different purpose. Once again, thanks to the elven government, we have been given knowledge on magic while in turn giving technology and whatnot, and what we¡¯ve learned is that they can use magic through something called Mana, which is like set storage of magical power they keep in their body to then be used later to create their spells and things. What I believe is that mana is similar to oxygen, but the source of mana is something I don¡¯t know and the majority of the researchers have already given up on, but they take in mana by breathing obviously and that mana goes straight into the second heart like oxygen does for the main one, and red blood cells carry it through the body. But, how they convert mana into magical power is something I don¡¯t know about yet!¡± At this point in his rambling, Burton thought that Sigmund was going a bit crazy, either from the days he¡¯s possibly stayed awake, evidence from the number of coffee cups on the floor or from the number of hours he¡¯s spent researching, Burton wonders if he¡¯s even sane anymore. ¡°Look, Sig, I think that you should possibly rest for a bit¡­ You seem to be going a bit¡­ Insane¡­¡± ¡°Me? Insane? Please! H-have you seen all of those fools who''ve given up already!? I on the other hand? I am looking into the very depths of how magic works! I will not stop until I collapse!¡± Sigmund at this point seemed to have gone full crazy and grabbed Burton¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Hell Burton, I can even find the secret of eternal life! DO YOU REALIZE THAT? ETERNAL LIFE, WE CAN BECOME GO-¡± Before he could finish, Burton smacked him again in the face, causing Sigmund to fall onto a large pile of papers, and knocking down the towers of paper. ¡°Listen to me you fucking nazi! You¡¯re sounding like you did back in 1939!¡± Burton shouted at him. ¡°N-nazi¡­? A-ah, m-my apologies!¡± Sigmund said, quickly getting up. ¡°I-i seemed to have gotten a bit overboard¡­ Sorry¡­ Force of habit¡­¡± ¡°Force of habit¡­ Just get some fucking sleep man! And maybe calm down on the caffeine.¡± Burton walked away and out of the room into the research room. ¡°Now, maybe take some medication to help you sleep and by tomorrow you should be alright,¡± Burton said as he rested a hand on Sigmund¡¯s shoulder. ¡°B-but they need me to help research, I can¡¯t just leave on short lease¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that mate, I¡¯ll write a report for you explaining why you went back to your accommodations.¡± ¡°I-I see, thank you, mate¡­ I¡¯ll see you tomorrow¡­¡± Sigmund weakly shook Burton''s hand before leaving the research room. Burton looked on, before sighing. ¡°God, I feel as if he¡¯ll accidentally kill himself one day¡­¡± 0925AM NW Time - July 2nd - 1969 - Dryadalis Kingdom - Linga Forest City It''s been a while since William and Sofie had stayed in the Capital of the Elves. While they¡¯ve been to dozens of cities all across Europe and Asia, they both had noted that the Elven Capital has quite possibly been the most interesting place they¡¯ve ever been to. Of course, this could be attributed to the fact that the city is supported on large trees, connected platform by platform. William is currently exploring the Elven city, while Sofie sends back the information they¡¯ve gathered to U.S teams back in the military base in the East. William, for the most part, had already adapted to Elven culture, but even still It felt strange since it felt like a mix between Medieval European culture, and Eastern Asian history. William marched down busy streets on the elevated platforms, not necessarily sure what to do. For the most part, the information they¡¯ve gathered had been insignificant in terms of how important they were. The only truly important thing that has been going on is that a few U.S military members are also going around the city, as per agreement between the U.S and Elven governments, but they¡¯re not allowed to have their weapons out, and only allowed in the city if it¡¯s to help assist the Elven government or heavily monitored. As William continued to walk down he watched as a large group of hooded figures walking in unison walked past him. Compared to back home, people with hoods and cloaks weren¡¯t uncommon here, but his interest piqued as he watched one of the figures ¡°accidentally¡± bump into an Enforcement Officer, an equivalent of Elven police, and snatched something from their pocket without them noticing. ¡°Sofie, I think I just found something Interesting,¡± William said through his microphone in his ear. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Really? What is it, some sort of secret organization or something?¡± Sofie responded. ¡°No, just saw someone in a large group pickpocket something from those Elven police officers. Find it a bit suspicious.¡± ¡°Really? You''re gonna waste our time with thieves? But if you''re gonna follow them, how many are there?.¡± William began to quickly walk behind them, making sure to keep his distance to not be seen. ¡°Around four people, possibly multiple females, and males. Though, It looks like one of them is barely fifteen, at least in terms of human years, judging by their height.¡± ¡°Alright, keep track of them, I¡¯ll be at your location in a few minutes,¡± Sofie said before quickly disconnecting from the microphone. William tracked the hooded Elves and watched as they continued to walk deeper into the Elven capital. Eventually, the group stopped at a small bakery shop, and the largest one walked inside as the other three stayed outside the shop. William leaned against the wall of another shop just a few short meters away and tried his best to not stand out. Then, after a while of waiting, the tall person walked out, holding what seems to be a scroll in his hand. Before William could start following them again, he felt a sudden hand on his shoulder. He immediately grabs the person''s hand, before letting go realizing It¡¯s Sofie. ¡°So that¡¯s how you meet your friends, huh?¡± Sofie said. ¡°It was just an accident, didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯d be right next to me,¡± William said, before going to follow the group, and Sofie followed. ¡°So, anything interesting you watched them do?¡± Sofie said. ¡°Well, the tallest amongst them walked into a small bakery, and came out with a scroll, and I don¡¯t think that they¡¯ll eat bread on that.¡± ¡°Well, I had a few other CIA operatives who are also here to meet up with us, and judging where these guys are going, I had the operatives to meet with us in the Middle Plaza,¡± Sofie said, handing two photos, showing two men in their mid-thirties. ¡°Middle Plaza? The hell is that?¡± ¡°Well they never mentioned it in the packet, but after a while of talking with the locals, I learned that apparently, It¡¯s a large platform that connects every single platform in the city, well, as many as possible. It¡¯s kinda like a town square.¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯re losing track of our original plan, let¡¯s try and catch up with the group.¡± ----- The group of hooded figures continued walking until they reached the Middle Plaza, where a massive tree rested in the middle, as hundreds of wires connected it. Thousands of Elves walk around, as multiple markets give out food. Sofie separated from William to meet up with the other CIA operatives, while William made sure to keep track of the group. William stayed behind the group, but quickly hid behind a food stall as one of them turned around to him. He waited for a few seconds until the person turned away, and he quickly went back to following them. Eventually, Sofie returned with the two other CIA operatives. ¡°Noticed one of them turned around in your direction, think they noticed you?¡± ¡°Hopefully not, and guess these two are the other operatives? William said, talking about the two men. ¡°Yup and gotta say almost didn¡¯t see them, disguises are probably too good,¡± Sofie said. The now four CIA operatives continued to follow them until the hooded group suddenly split. One group headed down further into the city, while another group went into another building. This, in turn, resulted in William and Sofie going in a group to follow the group who went into the building, and the other operatives to follow the group that continued to walk down further in the city. Sofie and William walked into the building where the other group entered, but found nothing other than a small wood carving shop, with little wood carvings of things such as knights, and more. ¡°The hell? Where did those guys go?¡± Sofie said. ¡°Not sure, but since there¡¯s no one here,¡± William said, before closing the windows of the small shop, and locking the door. ¡°Let¡¯s take some time to look around,¡± William said before pulling out his pistol. Sofie nodded, before pulling out her pistol, and both putting up their guards. They look around the shop for a while but find nothing until Sofie finds a door behind a large shelf. ¡°Could be where they ran into, shall we?¡± William said, leaning against the wall next to the door. ¡°Alright, guns loaded and armed,¡± Sofie said as she leaned on the other side of the wall, and kicked it open. They peer into the room, guns up, but they see nothing but a large storage room filled with boxes, and dimly lit by lanterns hanging on the ceiling. They slowly walk through the storage room, not putting their guard down for a second. The Eerie Silence of the room filled their ears, making Sofie and William put their nerves on end. As they continued to walk, William stopped Sofie, putting a finger to his lips, and pointed in the direction where they heard footsteps. They both stay still for a second, before they get their guns up, and slowly walk up to the noise, making sure not to make much noise. William and Sofie hide behind a shelf, and as the footsteps got closer, both of them turn the corner with their guns out, but only to see It¡¯s the other two CIA operatives, who also had their guns out. ¡°The fuck! I thought you guys went to follow the other group!?¡± Sofie said. ¡°W-we did! They walked into a building and we followed them, but they were gone by the time we got inside. We found a door and here we are,¡± One of the Operatives said. ¡°Same thing for us, but where the hell did they go?¡± William said. The four operatives slowly began to traverse around the large storage room. But suddenly, the crashes of boxes behind them caught their attention, and William quickly turned around but was quickly tackled by a hooded figure. Sofie and the other two operatives quickly opened fire, but they were also quickly tackled by the other three hooded figures. William fought with the hooded figure on top of him, but he managed to gain the advantage, and he kicked the figure away, knocking them into a shelf. Sofie and the other operatives also kicked the other hooded figures. William attempted to grab his gun off the floor, but one of the other hooded figures quickly grabbed him, and held a knife to his neck, causing the fight to quickly freeze into a stand-off. The hooded figures held swords, as one held a crossbow, pointed at Sofie and the other two operatives. ¡°Quis es?! Sicarii estis?!¡± (Who are you?! Are you assassins?!), One of the hooded figures said, revealing themselves to be an older man. ¡°Latin¡­ What should we do, Sofie?¡± One of the operatives said. ¡°Well, either we work this out, or their brains are gonna paint the walls.¡± Sofie breathed in deeply before responding to the Elf. ¡°We aren¡¯t assassins. We¡¯re¡­ CIA,¡± Sofie said in Latin. ¡°CIA¡­ never heard of an assassin group like that,¡± Another hooded figure said, revealing themselves as a female. ¡°We¡¯re not an assassin group, we work for the United States,¡± Sofie said. ¡°United States¡­ Those men in strange clothing out in the streets said something similar, but why were you following us?¡± The hooded man said. ¡°My friend, who you¡¯re holding a knife to his neck, caught one of your friends stealing something from one of those Elven Enforcement Officers,¡± Sofie said. ¡°Wait, United States? I read from a document about a human nation agreeing to help defend the south from Zapad and Vostok forces in exchange for land,¡± The female Elf said. ¡°Perhaps we got on the wrong foot, we¡¯re willing to put down my weapon if you put down if you do the same.¡± ¡°Tialha! What do you mean! Why should we even do that!¡± The male Elf said before she kicked his leg. ¡°Nylian! You dumbass! Maybe you should think for once before you shout someone''s name out loud! Now, humans, do we have a deal?¡± Sofie stared at them for a second, before slowly nodding and putting her gun down, and the other two operatives did the same. The man still holding the knife at William''s neck, Nylian, and William grabbed his gun from the floor and walked back to Sofie and the other operatives. The female Elf, Tialha, said something to another hooded Elf, and they walked away, leaving only three Elves. She pulled her hood back, revealing her golden blonde hair and green eyes. Nylian then pulled back his hood, revealing his bulky face, with a large blond beard, hair, and green eyes. The final one, a seemingly younger boy pulled back his hood, revealing a relatively soft face, around the age of fifteen for a human. ¡°You know, for apparently being humans, you look far more like Elves, disguises perhaps?¡± Nylian said, noticing their fake ears pointing out of their hoods. ¡°Fake, can¡¯t be going around sneaking around without looking the part,¡± William said before Sofie slammed her foot onto his. ¡°Now, Ms. Tialha, why do you want to talk to us in the first place?¡± Sofie asked. ¡°Well, I have read documents regarding your country and I want to talk to see if you can help us. I understand that your country is a democracy of sort, correct?¡± Tialha asked. ¡°Well, more specifically, we¡¯re a Federal Republic with a presidential system, but why are you even asking this?¡± William said. ¡°I¡¯m asking to see if you can help us. We wish to revive an Elven Democracy on these Elven Isles. I¡­ We need you to help the Saplings of Liberty.¡± Democracy at Its Finest 0605AM NW Time - July 2nd - 1969 - Dryadalis Kingdom - Northeastern Region A U.S military jeep drives down a rough dirt road of the Elven farmlands. The small and tight road causing the jeep to bump around, the two U.S soldiers endured it as well as the Elven Enforcement Officers meant to keep a watch of them. The main purpose of the drive was simply to drive to a recent airbase that was created, as a way to send supplies down south to another recent airbase that was made to airstrike Zapad and Vostok forces that were holding up in the Elven, Zapad, and Vostok borders. As they continued to drive down the dirt road eventually mass rows, of what the two Americans think is wheat, appeared swaying in the air, and the road seemed to approve a bit. ¡°Hey, do you mind if I say something?¡± The soldier asked the one driving. ¡°What? More of your comics from Japan?¡± The driver responded. ¡°Course not, and it¡¯s called Manga. What I wanna say is that I¡¯ve noticed a lot of these people out here in these smaller cities, towns, and villages all look seriously malnourished compared to those in those larger cities,¡± the passenger said. ¡°Hmm? Really? But we just passed an entire field of wheat?¡± ¡°Yeah, spoke with some locals, look like barely half the wheat that comes out is unusable. But, what I¡¯m more curious about is that how are those closer to the food production look like they barely eat. Plus, I can¡¯t imagine it¡¯ll be harder to feed hundreds in a small village compared to millions in a larger city.¡± ¡°Yeah, seems kinda suspicious to me. But how the hell did you even get past the pointy eared behind us?¡± The driver said as he looked back at the two Elves just looking into the farm fields as one shifts his peaked hat. ¡°Well, despite the bigger ears, kinda feels like they got worse hearing. Snuck past them during the night into some villages and towns since I was curious.¡± They continued to drive down the dirt road, before stopping as they come across a large convoy of carriages. As the carriages continued to march down the path, they noticed that the carriages weren¡¯t driven by the locals, but rather military personal, and they¡¯re transporting what they believe to be wheat. ¡°Exporting wheat? If you¡¯re right and these people out here are starving, the hell they exporting their only supply of food for?¡± The driver said. ¡°Yeah, something behind the scenes is happening, and nothing good¡­¡± 0620AM NW Time - July 2nd - 1969 - Dryadalis Kingdom - Linga Forest City Sofie and William follow Tialha, Nylian, and the younger boy, named Dian down the streets of the Elven capital. Sofie had the other two operatives leave to go and report the situation to the military base in the east, so it was only them now. As they continued to follow the group, they all reach a shop, marked as a simple bakery. They walked inside, and the owner, a mainly chubby Elf, stood from his chair. ¡°Nylian! Good to see you. You two Tialha, and Dian,¡± He said. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good to see you too,¡± Nylian said as he and the group walked past the counter and towards a door. ¡°Oh? New members there?¡± He asked, talking about Sofie and William. ¡°Uh.., Yeah, guess you can say that.¡± Nylian opened the door and walked in with the rest of the group. They walk down a hallway, before walking into a large room with an elevated platform in the middle. Nylian walked up to the platform before pulling out a scroll. ¡°If I may, what are we doing here, and what is this place?¡± William asked. ¡°Well, If you must know, this is just a teleportation area we have set up all around the city, simply a way to travel around the city with the teleportation scroll Nylian has in his hand,¡± Tialha said. ¡°And for our case, we¡¯ll be teleporting into our main base.¡± ¡°Teleportation!? Isn¡¯t that just some stupid scientific bullshit used in those science fiction novels?¡± Sofie said to William in English. William shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me that, ask the guys who know how it works.¡± Sofie sighed, forgetting the question. Nylian unfolded the scroll and put his hand over it, and a blue light began to shine from the scroll. Immediately afterward, the platform below them began to glow, and then the light began to engulf all five of them. By the time the light disappear, William and Sofie found themselves in what seemed like the same room, which left them confused. ¡°Come, here is our main base, It¡¯ll be unlike anything you¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Tialha said, guiding William and Sofie as Dian and Nylian walk ahead. Sofie and William followed the group, and eventually, they came across a simple wooden door, and upon opening it, they found themselves in a large-looking tavern, with a second floor, and more identical-looking doors all in rows on each floor. The inside was reminiscent of old-style European taverns that have been preserved but were far larger than any old historical tavern from back home. But instead of the expected chatter and drinking as the look gives away, all there were Elves sitting or standing around, everyone there is either in deep thought or simply walking about, making the clanking of wood as people walk about the only noise that filled the entire building. Tahlia escorted the group upstairs to the second floor, then to a private area, to talk without being heard. ¡°This place is what we like to call our ¡°hub". Every door here has identical rooms where we were just in, which are used to teleport back to Linga Forest City,¡± Tialha said. ¡°Really? Why¡¯s this place modeled after a Tavern out of all things?¡± William asked. ¡°O-oh¡­ I can answer that actually..¡± Dian said, suddenly stopping his long period of silence. ¡°The founders of the ¡®Saplings of Liberty¡¯, as we call ourselves, had originally started in a tavern that looked like this. But, once they were found out the tavern was burned to the ground, and when the founders retreated here, they rebuilt the tavern as a way to commemorate the beginning of the group.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°That''s so. But, I do have to ask, where the hell are we specifically?¡± Sofie said. ¡°That we cannot say. But, what we can say is that we¡¯re currently in our underground city, it¡¯ll be the last place they''ll think to find us,¡± Nylian said. They soon walked out of the room and back to the first floor of the area, and outside into the underground city. Sofie and William look at the underground city, homes supported on the walls, some on the ground, hundreds of wooden paths connect to paths, it looks similar to the Elven capital, but unlike the rich and prosperous capital, the so-called city they¡¯re looking at looked much more a struggling small town, as Elves could be seen in less than conditions. Some homes looked as if they had rotten wood supporting their structure, some wore tattered clothing, and even some people slept in what looked like makeshift beds made from rubble, and skins from animals. ¡°God,¡± William said, commenting on his surroundings, ¡°these people are living in such conditions¡­¡± ¡°There are people living like this back home, it¡¯s nothing new, but we¡¯ve just chosen to ignore it,¡± Sofie said. William said nothing, having no words to say to Sofie. Eventually, Sofie and William were brought to a large house at the end, where guards stood at the side of the doors. The guards upon seeing Nylian and Tialha walk up, with William, Dian, and Sofie right behind them, open the doors to let them in. Upon entering, Sofie and William walked down the wooden hallways of the house, the only things that decorated the house was the occasional candle-lit lantern hanging from the ceiling. ¡°Just asking, but, where exactly are you taking us?¡± Sofie asked. ¡°We¡¯re heading to¡­ I guess you can call him our leader,¡± Tialha said, ¡°We felt it was best for you to talk to him to understand our full situation.¡± Once at the end of the hallway, they came across another large door, with two other guards standing at the side. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll wait outside the door for you two, we¡¯ve already informed him of both of you coming,¡± Nylian said. Once Nylian finished talking, the guards opened the doors, and Sofie and William walked inside. Inside, they saw a young man sitting at a desk, doing some sort of paperwork. The Elven man continued to do paperwork, deep in thought, and didn¡¯t realize Sofie and William were there until William did a fake cough. ¡°Huh? Oh, my apologies!¡± The young man said as he stood up from his seat. ¡°I-i was so busy I didn¡¯t even hear you coming in.¡± ¡°Yes, my name is Sofie, the man beside me is William, I think that you already know why we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Yes, my name is Tolith Faeroe, I suppose you can call me the leader of the Saplings of Liberty. You two are the Americans I was reported of?¡± ¡°That we are, and I think that you wish to ask us something?¡± William said. ¡°Yes, I believe that we need you American¡¯s help. I believe you already know of our situation from the scenes outside,¡± Tolith said, with a sad expression on his face. "Not enough food to go around, and not enough resources to properly sustain everyone under our care." ¡°Yes, It''s a sad scene. But I want to know for what reason does this group exists?¡± Sofie asked. ¡°Well, to put it short our group wishes to re-establish democracy in this nation. To get rid of the heinous oligarchy that grips control.¡± ¡°Oligarchy? I thought that it was a monarchy?¡± Sofie asked. ¡°Well, It hasn¡¯t been a real monarchy in quiet some time, the king is nothing more than a figurehead who thinks he has power.¡± ¡°This is probably something we wanna report this back at base,¡± William said to Sofie. ¡°Yeah, obviously, Idiot,¡± Sofie said, ¡°Now, Mr. Faeroe, if you may please tell us more about this oligarchy in control of the nation.¡± ¡°Yes, of course. The oligarchy is mainly comprised of a very small group of dukes, and which is passed on through title to their eldest son, and the cycle continues for who knows how long. But, I believe it¡¯s best for me to explain the history of the Elves If you both don¡¯t mind. But, It will be a length story,¡± Tolith said. Sofie and William both looked at each other and nodded at Tolith. ¡°Alright. Fifteen thousand years ago, the borders that now make up the Elven nation were once smaller nations and principalities. But a group of individuals came along, wishing to unite the small nations and principalities into one nation. After decades and centuries of hardship, they were united under one banner. During this time as well, humans were beginning colonization in the south. The members that united the Elves under a single country understood that democracy was needed in order to keep the country from breaking apart. However, it wouldn''t even last a thousand years before a Civil War broke out. The country was split into two, one side ruled by the Democratic Elves, and the other side, the Monarchists. The Monarchists were formed after a split in the Democratic party that had been ruling the nation since the begining, the Monarchists comprised of mainly older Elves before the times of unification. They argued that the Democratic Elves had been corrupted, and secretly planning to sell the country out to the humans in the south, due to their policy of openness, compared to the Monarchist¡¯s policy of Isolationism. As well, they also argued that for the last thousnad years, that too much change had happened, and it would rip the nation apart. Eventually, the Democratic Elves were pushed to the brink of death by the Monarchists, and a Monarchy was established. It took many years until the past of the nation was swept away, and many are taught today that the nation was always a monarchy. Eventually, the monarchy slowly boiled down, into nothing more than an oligarchy, behind the mask of a monarchy.¡± William and Sofie stood there for a second to comprehend what they just heard. A Civil War, a monarchy established, and quite possibly soon, the fall of a country. William looked sympathetic to the cause, seeing it as just and noble, but Soie meanwhile had doubt written on her face. ¡°But, we do not fight just to re-establish a democracy but to save the people killed for opposing them. I¡¯m not sure if you Americans know, but famine is currently happening, actually, it has been going on for quite some time. Even though you might see the well-fed populace of Linga forest City, and Anyllunaa, It¡¯s nothing more than a ploy tricking you. What is happening is that the main producers of food, the farmlands, are currently going up against crop failure, which has been ignored by the main government for nearly a thousand years, yet they still take sixty percent of food as they always have from them, every year. Those villages or small towns that resisted were raided, burnt to the ground, and wiped off the map. As well as this, the majority of food is only given to the largest cities, to keep the majority of the population believing that they are doing fine. I fear if they are not stopped soon, this nation will not last another hundred years. So please, I beg for you to-¡± ¡°Wait, I just want to say something,¡± Sofie said, interrupting Tolith. ¡°I understand that your cause is noble, but what makes you think you¡¯ll be able to fix all the problems the nation is currently going through? Do you think you¡¯ll be able to through discussion, friendship, perhaps?¡± ¡°Sofie! You don¡¯t have to-¡± William said before being interrupted. ¡°Don¡¯t have to what? Obviously state that he¡¯s not thinking this through? That he¡¯s a god damn dumbass?! Is that what you don¡¯t want me to say?!¡± ¡°B-but, y-your country is a democracy! S-so I believed that you¡¯ll understand that how great democracy is!¡± Tolith said. ¡°No it isn¡¯t, it¡¯s good but it¡¯s no such thing as perfect. It honestly disgusts me how much you think that democracy will be able to fix any problem the world has.¡± Sofie walked out of the room, pushing the large doors open and walking down the hallway, leaving Nylian, Tialha, and Dian, who were waiting outside for hem, confused. ¡°I am sorry about Sofie, Mr. Faeroe, I¡¯ll be sure to give a report of your group,¡± William said, before leaving the room and running after Sofie. Turning South 0700AM NW Time - July 4th - 1969 - Dryadalis Kingdom - Elven Border For the last few weeks, thanks to the U.S Army, Zapad, and Vostok forces have been pushed back to the triple border. However, due to the massive trees, and thickness of them between the borders, it was decided instead of marching through it and risking hundreds of casualties of possible enemies hiding inside, fearing a repeat of the war in Vietnam, they will instead coordinate white phosphorus airstrikes to clear the area, and march into the heartland of both nations. Two A-10 Warthogs fly through the sky, moving to the triple border, aiming to drop white phosphorus on possible hidden enemy position. ¡°Beagle 1-1, how are you doing?¡± A man said over the radio. ¡°Beagle 1-2, doing fine so far. How much longer until we reach AOI?¡± ¡°Should arrive in approximately 15 minutes. But keep eyes out in the sky for potentially enemy sky wyverns, air support is falling a bit behind, so don¡¯t get your wings bitten off.¡± After a while of flying, they eventually come across the massive forest that encompasses the triple border and see the nearly fallen Elven border wall, battered and beaten. ¡°Alright, arrived at AOI, Beagle 1-1, link up, lower altitude to one thousand yards, and get ready to fire white phosphorus on my go.¡± ¡°Understood, Beagle 1-2.¡± The A-10 Warthogs flew side by side, and their bomb doors open, revealing White Phosphorus, ready to be dropped. ¡°Alright, get ready to drop, in one¡­ two.... three¡­ drop em!¡± The sound of metal clanking filled the air, as bombs dropped from the bomb doors of the Warthogs. The whistling noise as they fell caught the attention of everything below them, more so than the strange flying things zooming in the air. But, whether or not they were an enemy soldier or a simple forest creature, none were spared of the hellfire that was white phosphorus. The moment the first bomb hit the ground, an explosion of fire engulfed the surrounding area immediately, burning anything in its path. The other bombs dropped soon also began to explode, engulfing more areas in fire. The pilots in the Warthogs circle the area, as they watch Zapad and Vostok forces that were hidden in the forest run around, screaming as fire engulfed their bodies. ¡°Good God didn¡¯t think it would be that brutal¡­¡± Beagle 1-1 said. ¡°Should have known, white phosphorus is a bitch of a thing.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ but, isn¡¯t that too little to burn down this big of a forest?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be, the fire should spread enough, and we got army groups in the north to make sure it doesn¡¯t spread further than required.¡± ¡°Oh! Looks like you boys are already having some July 4th fireworks!¡± A sudden voice said over the radio. ¡°Looks like our air support is finally here.¡± Six F-4 phantoms, jet interceptors, and fighter-bombers appeared, with the one in the front talking. ¡°Nice to see you decide to finally make it, Eagle 1-1,¡± One of the pilots in the Warthog. ¡°Yeah, portions of the airbase are still being made, so all of Eagle 1 had to take off one at a time. But, aren¡¯t you boys flying a bit too low to the ground?¡± ¡°Should be fine, only enemy forces we¡¯ve seen so far are guys running away from the fire, or trying to stop being on fire. Haven¡¯t seen any big lizards yet.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t jinx us,¡± another voice said, presumably from one of the F-5s. ¡°I¡¯d rather not fight those damn things.¡± ¡°Aw, you¡¯re no fun, I think they¡¯ll be good practice if we were to fight them,¡± Eagle 1-1 said. The group continued to fly around, now only a few hundred yards away from the ground, watching the fire spread, a sudden voice interrupting them. ¡°Beagle 1, and Eagle 1, this is command, please state your status. Over¡± ¡°Command, this is Eagle 1-1, currently overseeing the fire spread of the border forest. Over.¡± ¡°Roger. Return to base with Beagle 1. Over.¡± The group began to make its way back to base north in two arrowhead formations before something suddenly interrupted them. ¡°Eagle 1-1, seems like something is flying this way, west, a couple of miles away, could be a sky wyvern, or whatever they¡¯re called,¡± Eagle 1-2 said. ¡°Alright, looks like we¡¯ll be having our dog fight, after all, boys. Eagle 1-2, and 1-3, you two should be able to take it out, rest of Eagle 1 will continue to base with Beagle 1.¡± With that, two F-5s flew off from formation, west to intercept the sky wyvern. As the two got closer, the sky wyvern suddenly swerved back the other way, and they give chase. ¡°Seems as if it¡¯s running away. Can¡¯t blame them, wouldn¡¯t want to be on the end of the gun on this thing,¡± Eagle 1-2 said. ¡°Yeah. But let¡¯s just take that thing out quick, don¡¯t want it to make problems for us in the future,¡± Eagle 1-3 said. ¡°Alright, guns out, gonna see if I can try and shoot the pilot off its back for some fun.¡± The two F-5s soon slow down to a pace of two hundred miles an hour, which seems to be the maximum speed for the sky wyvern. Eagle 1-2 flies directly behind the wyvern and the other flies above. The pilot watched as the sky wyvern and the rider on its back panicked, terrified of him, as the rider repeatedly whips the sky wyvern¡¯s reins to get it to fly faster. The Gatling gun of the F-5 soon reveals itself, and it opened fire for only a second, immediately killing the person riding the sky wyvern, and his body fell off and down into the ground below. Once free of its rider, the sky wyvern began to fly in any direction it could from the two F-5¡¯s, but its body was shredded by both jets, causing its lifeless body to fall to the ground, same as its rider. ¡°Won¡¯t lie, was expecting a bit more than that, but hey, can¡¯t lie It¡¯s refreshing chasing a wyvern down,¡± Eagle 1-2 said. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s head back to the group, they should be almost at base already. Let¡¯s speed up to Mach-¡± Before Eagle 1-3 could finish, he noticed something in the distance. ¡°Hey, something in the distance, seems as if-¡± Suddenly, a sky wyvern appears from above them, and it spewed fire on Eagle 1-3, but he managed to dodge it last minute. But then, another sky wyvern suddenly appeared, and its jaws clenched on the left-wing. This in turn caused the plane to spiral, and the other wyvern began to spew fire on his right-wing. ¡°SHIT! Things got my fucking wing! And the others tryna burn me! Fucking kill the things!¡± ¡°Already on it!¡± Eagle 1-2 got behind them and shot hot lead from his Gatling gun into the wyvern spewing fire, and it fell dead to the ground. He sprayed more bullets into the other wyvern biting on Eagle 1-3¡¯s wing, which resulted in the wyvern taking a chunk of metal from the left-wing as its body fell to the ground. His right-wing wasn¡¯t doing much better, as it was now slightly on fire. Eagle 1-2 sped up, now flying to the left of Eagle 1-3. ¡°God damn it! Eagle 1-1! This is Eagle 1-2! I and Eagle 1-3 were ambushed! His left-wing got fucking gnawed on, and his right-wing is on fire! I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be able to stay in the air for much longer! We need some help!¡± ¡°Alright! The group is heading back! Stay alive until we reach your location!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± The man piloting felt his body shake. He had thought that they¡¯d have complete superiority over the skies, he didn¡¯t think that giant blue flying lizards could best the USAF. But now, his senses were on high alert after being ambushed suddenly by a large group of sky wyverns. He had thought it would be peaceful, after all, it is better than going to Vietnam. As he did his best to try and calm himself down, and he looked over to his right at Eagle 1-3, or Scott. ¡°Hey, you doing good over there, Scott?¡± ¡°Cmon, Issac. You honestly don¡¯t think those bastards will take me down, do ya? I may be beaten the fuck up, but I¡¯m still kick-¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Issac saw as a wyvern from below deliberately crash into him. He watched as the plane that once contained his friend exploded, leaving nothing but destroyed pieces of metal, and pieces of flesh from the wyvern hit his F-5. He merely stared in the direction where his friend was. He and Scott were going slow enough for the wyverns to catch up. He only gained his composure when he saw the figures of wyverns appear, all in a horizontal formation. He slowly looked back forward, before gripping his hand on the controls. ¡°Alright. You got this¡­¡± He mumbled to himself. ¡°Let¡¯s get these fucking bastards out of the sky!¡± He quickly sped up his speed to near Mach One, before turning, prepping his Gattling gun, and prepping the missiles. He accelerated to Near Mach One, before going past the dozen or so wyverns, which are all confused from the sudden speed. Issac turned back around, before opening his Gatling gun on the wyverns. Immediately, the wyverns broke up from the formation and began to fly around, attempting to dodge the bullets from the F-5. However, two wyverns were killed, and he chased the remaining ten. The wyverns continued to fly around panicking, one even threw off its rider and flew away. Eventually, after killing five more wyverns, the rounds on the gun ran out. The remaining few wyverns who haven¡¯t run away since, as well as new wyverns that had come to help their allies, began to gain more confidence and attempted to catch up to the F-5. ¡°So, look like the big ass lizards wanna keep going. Fine, I¡¯ll show these fucks what happens!¡± Issac said, turning to the directions of the wyverns coming to him. He slowed his speed, before arming his missiles, and letting two of them go. The wyverns and their riders didn¡¯t know what was coming at them, as their target slowly rose after releasing two unknown objects from its belly. But they still attempted to dodge, and the wyverns dodged both missiles. But, when they both exploded, the explosion radius was large enough to take out a few of the wyverns. Issac turned back to the group of wyverns as the remaining ones began to spread out. He began to ready two other missiles. But, suddenly his left wing was blown off, and a fire began to engulf his plane. He didn¡¯t know how his left-wing was blown up but he did hear a loud booming burst of noise right before his left-wing exploded, but even then he doesn¡¯t know what happened. His plane began to slope down, and he struggled to keep it in the air. His plane began to violently nose dive into the ground, and he braced for impact. ----- Eagle 1-1 and the rest of the group quickly fly into the surrounding area where Issac had contacted them. As they fly around, they saw as wyverns quickly flew away, but they don¡¯t bother giving chase. Earlier when Eagle 1-1 was contacted about the sudden ambush, he had contacted the airbase, which in turn they sent out an armored scouting group mainly consisting of military trucks and helicopters. So, the group¡¯s main job now is to make sure the ground scouting team doesn¡¯t get attacked by wyverns in the air. ¡°Eagle 1-1, this is the leader of the scouting team. Do you read?¡± A voice said from his radio. ¡°Hear you loud and clear. Anything you need?¡± ¡°Well, found the crash sites of one of your guys. Not a pretty sight¡­ The left wing is completely gone, a portion of the plane is still on fire¡­ and the pilot is¡­¡± ¡°What? Is he alive? If he is did he lose an arm or...?¡± ¡°No¡­ his body is¡­ decapitated¡­ The lower half is in the pilot seat still, his upper half though seems to be splattered all over a rock¡­ It¡¯s a horrid site¡­¡± ¡°U-understood¡­ Will report back.¡± Eagle one mumbled something under his breath before his hands tightly gripped on his controls. 0820PM NW Time - Second Summer Rise - Fourth Day - 0789 - Zapad Kingdom - Royal Palace Ikanov Osip Stepanovich the II sits on his throne, as his advisor tells him of events that happened that day. Ikanov was once a truly great warrior, during his early years he earned the title of ¡®The Great Sword King¡¯, though he hated the name. In his early years, he would often be seen fighting in the west battling against the Vostok forces. His men said when they saw their leader fighting in the field with his massive Shashka sword while wearing his gold-plated armor, he was noted to be an angel that had come to strike down their foes. They said that even while his long brown hair was flowing in the wind, he could strike down over a dozen foes with a single swing. But now, that legendary warrior is nothing more than an old disgruntled man. His once long brown hair was nothing more than gray now, and his old golden platted armor was next to useless due to the extensive damage he had taken over the decades. Now, he is but what a fraction of the great warrior he once was, but, he was still a great ruler. ¡°Reports of metal beasts in the north assisting the Elves has risen, your majesty. As well as they, over a dozen sky wyverns had been taken out by just two of their metal ones in the sky. Many of the men are anxious to attempt a counter-attack and push back north,¡± His advisor said. ¡°Yes, and have we confirmed that they¡¯re humans as we¡¯ve been thinking?¡± Ikanov asked. ¡°Yes. A group had ambushed a small group and killed them earlier yesterday. They were fitted in their strange armor and weapons. They were confirmed to just be humans. Though we do not understand fully of their strange equipment, nor motive for helping the Elves.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, human or not, the naval invasion into the city of Anyllunaa shall commence,¡± Ikanov said, standing from his throne. ¡°Yes, your majesty. But, if I may ask, for what reason will we sail to the coastal city? Since you have not told any of your advisors the plan.¡± ¡°The city is not just a coastal one, it¡¯s also a mining city. I plan that once we capture it, we will gather as many magic crystals as we can. Now, I think you know what will happen when a large amount is gathered in a small area, yes?¡± ¡°Y-yes, It¡¯ll have enough power to cause an explosion, which can destroy an entire city¡­ But, your majesty, do you plan to do that?¡± ¡°Hmm, If it is necessary to gain control of the Elven nation. Now, I¡¯m sure that the galleons are ready for tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes, over five hundred, and twenty-five hundred men are ready for the Expedition tomorrow.¡± "Good, and I''m sure or ''Allies'' in the west, will come to help, yes?" "Yes, I''m sure of it." Crossing The Border 1125AM NW Time - Second Summer Rise - Fifth Day - 0789 - Infirmi Kingdom - Infirmi Border Coltone, Octavius, and Dow traversed through the forest, as their bodies were slowly starting to reach their limits. Ever since the burning of Coltone¡¯s home village, they¡¯ve been forced to quickly move out to their destination. Originally, they were planning to reach a town to get supplies, before getting on a ship and traveling to the Elven Nation. But, while they were traveling there, they came across posters for their arrest, and as a result, they had to change their plan. But, the only supplies on them were the ones they had when they left the village and the supplies that they had taken from the cave of the unknown person they had seen. Despite this, they had barely any food on them at hand, and as such are struggling, with them now needing to hunt food in order to eat. But, they had made a new plan, and that is to instead cross the border into the neighboring Kingdom, Aeqairis. ¡°God¡­ I feel as if we¡¯ve been traveling for weeks¡­ When are we going to reach the border¡­?¡± Dow complained, annoyed that they¡¯d been walking for literal days without rest. ¡°Even I¡¯ve lost track of time¡­ But, it should just be a bit longer till we reach the border wall,¡± Octavius said. As the three continued to walk, they diverted out of the dense forest and onto a large dirt road. Then, the three came across an abandoned wooden supply cart with a blanket on the top. Coltone put his hand up before walking to it alone, and when pulling the blanket, he uncovered wooden crates of various fruits, all seeming in pristine condition. Despite the obvious sign of it being a trap, the only thing his mind was thinking of was eating something that wouldn¡¯t try to run away from him for once. As he reached to grab one of the fruits, he was pulled back by Octavius, right before a crossbow bolt hit the spot where Coltone just was. ¡°Shit¡­! Fucker moved¡­¡± A voice came from the surrounding trees. A man suddenly jumped off a tree, revealing himself to be wearing a hood, and carrying a crossbow. ¡°Damn, even my mum has better aim than you, you drunk,¡± Another man revealed himself, showing himself wearing a mix of leather and iron armor while holding an iron short sword. Three more men appear from the trees, also wearing a mismatch of armor, holding various weapons from maces, and axes. ¡°Bandits¡­ uh¡­ what should we do¡­?¡± Dow said. ¡°Well, obviously, we fight,¡± Octavius said. ¡°Oi! If you lads are done talking, let''s just cut this short, and hand all your valuables,¡± A man said, walking in front of the bandit group wearing an iron helmet, showing himself to be the leader of the bandit group. ¡°Oh, shut it, you fucking tiny sausage,¡± Coltone said, pulling his short sword out. ¡°Guess you decided your fate! I¡¯m going for you first, fat man!¡± The group of bandits quickly go after the three, weapons out, aiming to kill. The leader of the group goes for Octavius first as the other four went for Dow and Coltone, but Octavius managed to dodge his swing, before punching the helmet off the man. He attempted to swing at Octavius again, but he grabbed his wrist before pushing him away. Octavius then grabbed the man''s head and slammed his head against a tree over and over again until he lay dead. Coltone meanwhile, was dealing dodging blows from a short sword, while also attempting to dodge occasional crossbow bolts from another. As the man continued to swing his short sword at Coltone, he took note of his inexperience, and he kicked the man away as another crossbow bolt missed him. Coltone crouched on the ground as the man went to attack him again, but Coltone grabbed a piece of dirt and threw it in his face, causing the man to stagger back. Coltone stabbed his calves and the man fell onto his back before Coltone got on top of him and stabbed the man''s head. But for Dow, it wasn¡¯t as easy, as, for him, he dodged every swing of the man attacking him with an axe. He moved around the supply cart, dogging each swing. He doesn¡¯t really have much in weapons, other than some daggers, which aren¡¯t able to pierce the man¡¯s leather and metal armor, as well as them being broken after he attempted to penetrate his armor. As well as that, the man kept wildly swinging a gold-plated axe, not giving Dow much chance at an attempt to retaliate. As the man continued to swing at Dow, taking chips of wood off the cart, he swung down hard at Dow but missed the hit, causing the axe to get stuck in the supply cart. As the man struggled to get the axe out, Dow took the initiative and grabbed the nearest thing beside him, which was some rope. He climbed onto the back of the man, wrapped the rope around the man¡¯s neck, and started to choke the man. The man staggered back and gripped Dow¡¯s arms in an attempt to get him off of his back, but it only resulted in Dow pulling the rope harder. As Dow continued to choke the man, he only stopped when he heard a ¡®crack¡¯ noise from the man, and he fell dead onto the ground. Dow slowly stood up and looked up at Octavius, who was watching the entire thing. ¡°Geez, thanks a lot¡­¡± Dow said. ¡°Well, sorry, I just wanted to see how It¡¯ll end. Plus, I was going to help if you were losing.¡± Dow gave a slight sigh, before looking at his broken daggers on the ground. ¡°Gotta get me some new ones later¡­¡± For Octavius, he looked at the golden plated axe that is still stuck in the supply cart. He pulled on it for a while, before he managed to get it unstuck. He looked at the golden plated axe for a while, before Coltone came back to the group. ¡°Interrogated one of the guys, said that they have a camp west of here,¡± Coltone said, pointing to his left into the forest. ¡°Let¡¯s use it for a while to prepare to hop the border tonight.¡± ¡°That''s so. But, where is the guy?¡± Octavius asked him. ¡°Well, let¡¯s say he¡¯s resting. But, for now, let¡¯s go to their camp for the night,¡± Coltone said. The other two nodded, and they all headed out west of them to the camp. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡ª-- The dark moon goes over the blanked horizon of the sky. The hundreds of stars dot the sky, used by many as constellations. Below, Octavius sits beside a fire, as he makes an engraving of his name in his new axe with a rock. For Octavius, Dow, and Coltone, they were lucky, as they found a week¡¯s worth of stuff at the bandit¡¯s camp, which means they could make the journey into Aeqairis and a coastal town or city. Octavius had already finished getting his things ready for the trip - he was just waiting for Dow and Coltone, who were in some of the previous owner¡¯s tents. ¡°Bah¡­ those two are taking too long,¡± he thought to himself, as he stared into the fire. He stared into the fire for only a second, before standing. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s see if Dow¡¯s done.¡± He walks up to the tent where Dow is in. As he got closer, he could hear the snips from what sounded like shears. As he opened the tent, he saw a massive pile of black fur on the ground beside Dow. He looked on confused as Dow continued to cut the fur off of his tail until he finished. ¡°What, you need something?¡± Dow said, turning his head at Octavius. ¡°Uh, what the hell are you doing?¡± ¡°Well, Aeqairis isn¡¯t the most friendly to my species, kinda surprising you don¡¯t know, so I¡¯ll have to hide my beast-kin parts in a cloak. My tail though is a bit big to hide it underneath the cloak, so I¡¯m trimming it down to better hide it.¡± ¡°Ah, alright then.¡± Octavius sat down inside the tent, looking at the bundle of black fur, ¡°So, I can see something happened between you and Coltone¡­ Right?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s just acting like I don¡¯t exist! I get it, he has trauma with my species¡­ But, that doesn¡¯t mean he can treat me like I¡¯m the one that caused it! Like, honestly, I¡¯d sock his face in if it means he¡¯d actually listen to me! Acknowledge my existence¡± Octavius stayed silent, he wasn¡¯t a man to know how to deal with this sort of situation. But then, only a few seconds of silence, until Coltone came in. ¡°Hey, if you two are finished fucking in here, let¡¯s go,¡± Coltone said. ¡°Well, that¡¯s him acknowledging you, right?¡± ¡°Fuck off, cunt.¡± ¡ª--- The three walked through the silence of the night, as Octavius led the way, holding nothing but a candle in a lantern. The only noise that emanated from the forest was the noise of them walking, and the occasional cries from an animal. For Dow, he felt uneasy, as it was common for bounty hunters from Aeqairis to cross the border and kidnap Beast-Kin from Infirmi, before bringing them back to Aeqairis to be sold as slaves, so he had his guard up at all time now. As the three continued to walk through the dark forest, Dow couldn¡¯t help but hear something''s around, as if he heard the noise of boots, getting closer. Suddenly, a snap of a twig behind him, and jumped, believing it to be someone behind him, and clung to the nearest thing next to him. Immediately after doing this, Dow realized what he had done, he turned his head to what he clung to, and he only saw Coltone¡¯s annoyed face looking at him. Coltone put his hand on Dow¡¯s face and slowly pushed Dow away from him, before continuing to walk. Dow stood there for a second, not sure what to do, but quickly went back to follow them. Eventually, they reach the end of the forest, and then some across a large stone wall, the wall separating Infirmi and the Aeqairis Kingdoms. ¡°Here we are, heard that this took over a decade to make, and some of it is still being constructed,¡± Coltone said. Octavius put out the candle in the lantern, and the three began to walk up to the wall. The wall was over 35 meters tall, and made of complete stone. Usually, to make such a monstrosity of a wall, it would take well over a decade, but thanks to the ability to break up stone smaller and able to make mining stone faster. Despite this, a portion of the wall was still under construction. As the Coltone, Octavius, and Dow continued to walk alongside the stonewall, before coming across a large opening, filled in with scaffolding, with Infirmi and Aeqairis sliders guarding the open area. ¡°Shit, how the hell do we get past this?¡± Coltone whispered. As Octavius and Coltone thought to themselves, Dow began to make the first. Ignoring the faint calls from Octavius and Coltone, Dow sneaked close to a guard walking around beside the east side of the wall. He grabbed his knife from his belt, took out the rope from earlier that he had taken, and wrapped it around the guard''s mouth, before pushing the knife deep into his throat. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Octavius said as he snuck up to Dow, looting the dead man. ¡°What? You learn a few tricks after a few years being on your own,¡± Dow said, as he pulled a coin out of the dead man¡¯s pocket. On the other side of the unfinished part of the wall, he threw the coin right next to a guard. The guard, now distracted by the noise of the coin landing beside him, Dow motioned Coltone and Octavius to follow him, as he walked through the part of the unfinished built wall, and they followed. As they snuck through the unfinished part, Coltone nearly tripped on a piece of debris and held onto a part of the scaffolding. The scaffolding shook a little, but luckily nothing happened, but suddenly a piece of stone fell from the top of the scaffolding and fell right next to him. ¡°The fuck was that¡­?¡± A guard said, getting close. Two guards from the Aeqairis side began to walk to the unfinished built site. Dow, Octavius, and Coltone immediately hid behind equipment, as the two Aeqairis guards looked around, one holding a lantern. As they looked around, Octavius hid behind a large pile of stone and looked at Dow as he also hid behind the stone. He nodded at Dow, and he nodded back, and Octavius snuck behind one of them. Octavius pulled out his axe before slicing the man¡¯s neck open. The other man quickly pulled out his long sword from its sheath, but Dow quickly jumped onto his back and try to slice his neck, but the man grabbed Dow¡¯s hair before throwing Dow off him. Coltone quickly charged up against the man with his short sword but was blocked by the man¡¯s long sword. ¡°H-hey! I need some help!¡± The man shouted before Octavius cut the man¡¯s leg with his axe, making the man fall onto the ground. Coltone stabbed the man¡¯s head before Octavius helped Dow up to his feet. Suddenly, bells began to ring out, and crossbow bolts began to be shot at the three. They began to run out into Aeqairis, running as crossbow bolts continued to be shot at, before entering into a dense forest. 0910AM NW Time - Second Summer Rise - Sixth Day - 0789 - Aeqairis Kingdom - Unknown Forest Dow, Coltone, and Octavius had been walking all night out of fear of being captured, Dow especially. As the three continued to walk down the forest, they began to smell the usual foul smell of fish. They began to run faster, until they reached the gate of a coastal town called, ¡°Aramore¡±. ¡°So, guess we get some supplies and get on a ship?¡± Coltone said. ¡°Yup, but let¡¯s just ho-¡± ¡°Oh, c''mon, you two take too long. Let¡¯s just go,¡± Dow said, as he walked in front of them, and walked to the front gate, a cloak covering his body, as Coltone and Octavius followed. Continue the Fight 0730AM MSK Time - July 12th - 1969 - Soviet Russia - Moscow Yakovich sits in the passenger seat of a taxi as it drives around Moscow. People on their usual days, soldiers, patrolling buildings, all is as it usually is. But, he did not return for a vacation, nor of his own will, but rather he was told to return. The reason was that there¡¯s currently a massive debate within the party of whether to continue funding for the other world expansion, due to it already being costly to transport men, food, and equipment to the other side. As such, many wish to rather than march through the country militarily, they¡¯ve said rather make the country surrender through promises of the prosperity of a new communist government, making it faster to take control of the entire country, and to as well limit spending. For Yakovich, this is less than ideal. Not only is this an insult to him, but it also means that he would be replaced with someone else the party finds more favorable, and even Brezhnev seems to agree with this option. For Yakovich, who is a hardcore Leninist, he can¡¯t allow it, thinking that they should be forcibly taken over militarily, to prevent possible rebellion and opposition. For him, he knows it won¡¯t be easy to convince everyone, knowing there''ll be many who wish to see him gone. But, there is one way to get the party to agree with him, intimidation. For him, he has many friends in the KGB, most noticeably Yuri Andropov, the current chairman, as such it¡¯s not difficult for them to do favors for him, such as threatening their families. If it worked for others, it¡¯ll work for him. Another thing is that the new entrance into the new world. He only found out about it the day before he returned to Earth. Apparently, they had found a new way in Kyrgyzstan and was immediately made a base. This new location, while still limited in many cases, allows for more men and equipment to be brought in, but it has brought up more questions than anything. One such question was whether the Americans and their Allies know of its existence, or have one of their own. However, that¡¯s not Yakovich¡¯s concern, as his only concern in an attempt to convince the party to continue militaristic expansion. As the taxi slowed down to the doors of the large building, he tipped the driver, before getting out and entering. Once inside, he enters the main room of the Party, which reminds him of a college meeting room in some aspects. There are hundreds, if not thousands of chairs in rows, nearly all already being occupied. In the front of the room lies a podium where Brezhnev will be speaking, and behind the podium is hundreds of more chairs, and a statue of Lenin with the soviet banner behind it. He walked to the seats in front of the statue of Lenin and sat in his seat closest to the statue, and merely waited for the meeting to begin. Even from his seat, he could feel the gazes from those in the rows of seats, while he couldn¡¯t see their faces directly, he knew they were giving him dirty looks. ¡ª After around an hour of waiting, the meeting commences. Soviet congressmen begin taking seats as the entire room is filled to the brim, which surprised Yakovich, not thinking that many would come given the unpopular opinion in the way the conquest of the other world is going. Eventually, Leonid Brezhnev walks in. As he walked to the main podium in the middle of the room, Yakovich simply stared, internally mocking the Soviet leader. Everyone kept quiet as Brezhnev got up to the podium, and began to speak. The beginning of the speech was nothing Yakovich found interesting, mainly of domestic affairs first, mainly with continuing riots by the younger generation in Eastern Europe, like Poland and Ukraine. He found such things no longer important to him, due to him not being in Europe since 1962 right after he was made a Lieutenant Colonel. But soon, the topic everyone has been waiting for, the conquest of the other world. He heard many people¡¯s faces turn from boredom to ones of interest. ¡°As many of you know, the conquest in the other world has been going slowly. While we do have superior technology and manpower, our forces have been slowed down due to improper equipment due to us not being able to send it in quickly enough. As such, this Congress meeting will now commence regarding the other world.¡± The beginning of the debate was intense enough. The few that spoke their voices were outspoken on how fruitless it was to wage war against an enemy who couldn¡¯t even fight back. While true that the entire war is pointless in terms of the slow push they¡¯re doing, Yakovich knows the majority of them have never really seen how a war is fought and knows it takes time. Alongside that, while currently they are gaining no positive trade on the conquest, if they industrialize it, it¡¯ll be a great source of profit. Many of the congressmen though seem to be supportive of the war, mainly with the fact that their enemy seems to be medieval in nature, which means untapped natural resources everywhere, oil, metal, iron, anything they¡¯re running low on could be replenished in just a year of modernization. Not only this, if they can mine any natural resources like that, they can finally boost the Soviet economy back to rival the United States, as it has been lacking for the last few years. But the biggest thing was magic. While not making sense at all, many think that it has massive potential. Not only with magic can they not only do what was once considered the impossible but also possibly turn it into weapons, notably the magic crystals that Yakovich captured. But, while nearly everyone agrees with the expansion, they don¡¯t agree who¡¯s in charge, Yakovich. They argued that Yakovich was irresponsible, due to them thinking he¡¯s inexperienced, and risky with all of his ideas when it comes to the conquest of the other world. While true, most of his ideas had big risks, the only reason that they worked was due to his winning factor of having advanced technology compared to their enemy, if they were at the same level when it comes to technology he wouldn¡¯t be in control of the entire conquest. But, even if they were right, he knew from some of their speeches, they don¡¯t seem to hate how long it''s taking like he originally thought, and more with Yakovich himself. Their speeches consist of the same things each time, that he was irresponsible, too risky, and far too inexperienced, though to many it didn¡¯t seem that many paid attention to. But then it was time for Yakovich to speak up, and he grinned slightly. The microphone in front of him turned on, and he began talking. ¡°I just want to ask a question. How many here have actually seen war in their lifetime?¡± He asked a simple, but at the same time complex, a question for many of the congressmen. Those he expected to raise their hands raised them, such as war veterans, and generals. But, only around two dozen raised their hands. ¡°To those who didn¡¯t raise their hands, I want to ask you something. Have you ever seen the bomb drop on a city you were born in? The screams of men, women, children on the streets as the buildings crumbled. I remember. I was only three when the Siege of Stalingrad started. My Father was conscripted a month prior, and we got a letter a week afterward that he was killed when the Germans attacked the town he was assigned to. Then, I was with my mother in a bunker, the only noise coming from the shouts of the occasional Russian, German, and fighting. One day, a German found the bunker me and my Mother were in, he shot her in the back and her body fell on top of mine. I wanted to scream so loudly, as the bullet went right through her and into my leg, but the shock made me disoriented. I couldn''t scream. Fortunately, my Mother¡¯s body hid me, and he left. Once I gained composure, I merely walked out of the bunker.¡± ¡°Men shouting, women screaming. Children crying, it was the only thing I heard until the planes appeared. Gunshots, screaming, I was just walking down a destroyed street until I was grabbed and brought to safety by a Soviet soldier. I say this so that more children don¡¯t have to go through this ever again, I fight intellectually, not ferociously. ¡±I fight out there besides my men to expand this great country I live in. I fight, they fight, so that no one else experiences that. We may kill, but only those who wish to kill back. We will rebuild their destroyed homes and show them a new age of prosperity under the Soviet Banner!¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Everyone was still, staring at Yakovich as he just sat there, leaning back against his chair. Then, clapping. It was only one, then two, and it grew as Brezhnev, then the entire room, began clapping. He looked around, seeing his KGB agents standing beside groups of people, and he internally smiled. ¡ª After a while, Yakovich walks down the hallway of the building, planning to return to his apartment, when Vasil suddenly grabs his shoulder. ¡°Yakovich! Seems as if you¡¯ll be staying in charge of the whole other world business. Though, I¡¯m honestly surprised you managed to convince everyone.¡± ¡°Well, all you have to say is something dramatic, sad, somewhat related to the topic at hand, and you¡¯ll have all of them bending over for you. Plus, having friends in the KGB helps.¡± ¡°Ha! Though, I do have to ask, was that story of you being in Stalingrad real?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve told you this two times now. Plus, you were the one that grabbed me when I was on the street and brought me to safety. You were what? Eighteen, seventeen at the time?¡± ¡°Ah, shit. I completely forgot. I swear, ever since I''ve been in my forties, my memory has gotten worse.¡± ¡°Well, old age does that, friend. But, one part was fabricated. My father wasn¡¯t killed by the Germans, he was killed by my older brother when he came home from work one day and saw my Father about to beat me after drunkenly beating my mother. My brother was conscripted, and he died in that town.¡± ¡°I hope those wounds heal¡­ I know how hard it might be to not be able to talk about such things.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. But, I¡¯m going back to my apartment for the night, that speech gave me bad memories.¡± 0200PM SST Time - September 29th - 1942 - Stalingrad - Streets Gunfire, screaming, tanks rolling down the streets, he¡¯s used to it now. Despite the bleeding from his left leg, he continued to walk down the street, on the verge of tears, but they wouldn''t come out. The boy only walked down the streets, not stopping for anything, even the noise of upcoming Germans. ¡°Hey, kid! Where are you going?!¡± The shouting of a man had him stop in his tracks. The boy looked to his right where the voice came from and saw a soldier standing in a war-torn shop. Black hair, shaven face, but a blocky head, all stood out to him, but instead of responding, the boy kept walking forward. ¡°God damn it! Kids these days!¡± The man jumped out of his cover in the shop and ran towards the boy. He grabbed him by his waist before running back into the shop. He hid behind the shop counter as he held the boy, before noticing the wound on his leg. ¡°The hell? What did you get into, kid¡­¡± The man ripped off the sleeve of a shirt on the ground, before wrapping it around the boy¡¯s wound. As he tended to his wound as much as he could, the noise of a tank stopped him. He peeked over the shop counter and saw the barrel of a Tiger Tank appears, and he immediately pulled his head back down. He looked at the boy and noticed the disoriented look in his eyes, as if he didn''t know what¡¯s happening. The man simply put a finger to his lips, before grabbing his M38 Carbine off the ground. He kept quiet as the noise of boots running soon joined the noise of the tank engine running. ¡°Also, wie viele hast du get?tet?¡± ¡°Z?hlen Zivilisten?¡± ¡°Ja.¡± ¡°Ich sch?tze ungef?hr zwanzig oder so. Sieben sind echte Soldaten.¡± While he couldn¡¯t understand what the two German soldiers were saying, he still listened to their conversation. Heck, even if he could understand what they were saying, it¡¯s not like he would care what they¡¯re saying. Then, an explosion. The tiger tank exploded into fire, catching the Germans off guard. Two T-34¡¯s appear from behind a large pile of rubble, as multiple Red soldiers began running out as well, charging at the Germans. The Tiger, still operational, began opening its machine gun at the incoming Red, shreading them down as the Germans got beside the Tiger. The T-34¡¯s opens fire, exploding the groups of Germns, causing the remaining Germans and the Tiger to begin to back up down the streets in a retreat. It wasn¡¯t a large group, as it was only a scouting party, but the Soviet sneak attack on the group meant they weren¡¯t expecting it. The man watched from behind the shop counter as the Germans backed up. Then as he stood up from the counter, one spots him. He quickly pulled up his Carbine as the German pulled up his rifle, but he pulled the trigger first. The shot from his carbine went through the German¡¯s chest which caused him to fall to the ground. But, this only caused more to notice him. But before they could react, the T-34¡¯s shots ranged out again, killing the groups of Germans, leaving the Tiger last alieve. It continued to fire its machine gun into the Reds as the T-34¡¯ reloads their main guns. The man still behind the shop counter grabbed a bad beside him, and when he opened it revealed it¡¯s full of grenades. He looked to the boy beside him, and he can see that a bit of life is returning to his eyes, and he seems to be more distressed. The man took a deep sigh, before running out of the shop with the bag, leaving the boy there. He ran to the side of the Tiger, but the gun machine didn¡¯t notice him until the last minute. The gun turned t him, but it didn¡¯t open fire in time as he climbed on the top. He pulled the pin off one of the grenades in the beg before opening the hatch of the Tiger, dropping the bag, and jumping off, running for cover behind rubble. He plugged his ear and counted to three, before the grenades went off, and the Tiger exploded into fire. As he stood from the rubble, Soviet soldiers as well as the two T-34¡¯s storm the area. As he looked around, a Soviet Officer walked up to him. He seemed to be fairly old, old enough to be a veteran of the Great War. He saluted the officer. ¡°Soldier, what are you doing here? I don¡¯t remember anyone being assigned out here outside of my unit. Unless you deserted¡­¡± The officer said. ¡°No. The group I was with was ambushed by Germans, we were forced to retreat and seperate.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ In that case, good job on taking out that Tiger. I¡¯ll be sure to contact your commanding officer about that. Oh, actually, what¡¯s your name, boy?¡± ¡° Vasil Nikitovich. I¡¯m part of the 21st Army. 3rd company. Private. Sir, I must request something. I found a child out in the street, I ask to see if it¡¯s possible to find his parents.¡± ¡°A child? Why in the hell would a child-¡± Suddenly, the screaming of German stopped their conversation. They turned back, and saw a German Officer holding the boy Vasil was talking about, holding a luger to his head as the boy trashed around trying to get out of his grasp. The Red soldiers aimed their rifles at the German Officer, but no one pulled the trigger. As they all stood there, Vasil looked around, before spotting a sniper perched up to one the still standing buildings. He looked back at the boy as he continued to trash, and tried to get his attention. Once he motioned him to calm down, and the boy looked at him as he started to stop trashing, then Vasil motioned him and put his hands over his ears, and he did the same. The German backs up slightly, before suddenly the left shoulder of the German causes him to let the boy fall to the floor as he holds his hands over his ears. The Officer attempted to lift his Luger up to shoot, before he was gunned down by the Reds. As the body of the German slumped over, the boy stood up and walked over to the nearest one he trusted, which was Vasil. ¡°Well, thankfully, no one died, at least no one important,¡± The Officer said, walking up to Vasil and the boy. ¡°Seems as if you weren¡¯t lying about the boy. What¡¯s your name?¡± The boy jumped slightly, not expecting he¡¯d have to talk. ¡°I-Ismaylov Mili Yakovich¡­¡± The boy said in a mutter. ¡°Yakovich¡­ Fine name. Vasil, I noticed his wound, there¡¯s a medic down the road, bring him there.¡± Vasil nodded before he felt a tug on his pants, he looked down and saw the boy holding onto his pants as he looked up at Vasil. ¡°Kids¡­ thank God I¡¯m not having any,¡± Vasil thought to himself. He never thought himself as the Fatherly type, maybe brotherly but even he¡¯s still bad at that. Vasil rubbed the boy¡¯s head, before walking down the street as the boy followed. As they walked, he noticed grumbling from the boy¡¯s stomach. ¡°Hey, kid. What kind of fruit do you like?¡± Vasil asked him. ¡°Mother grew blueberries in the backyard. So, I like blueberries¡­,¡± He replied. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go ahead and get you some blueberries then.¡± Vasil rubbed his head, noticing both their moods improved, as they both walked down the street to a medic tent. The New Jersey 0245PM NW Time - July 15th - 1969 - Dryadalis Kingdom - Anyllunaa Outskirts On the outskirts of the port city lies a large hangar, only a few are allowed to enter. Those who¡¯ve managed to get close to it claim to hear the smashing of hammers, noise as if metal itself was being bent, and as if a sky wyvern was screeching inside, at least those rumors from children say, but even then no one truly knows what¡¯s inside. Patrols wander around the area, both Americans and Elves, as the security has increased ever since three Elves managed to break in, and one managed to escape. Currently inside, in something that the Americans would rather keep secret until they unveil it, a one of a kind ship, one specifically called by President Nixon to be dismantled and reassembled in the other world. The USS New Jersey. It was a logical choice, as it was already being used in Vietnam, some believed that the US Navy should use the New Jersey as a way to ensure the Navy¡¯s arrival in the other world. It was also believed that when the US eventually will explore out of the area into other parts of the world after the war, the USS New Jersey would be used to demonstrate Gunboat diplomacy since it seems to be normally used in this world, or that¡¯s the theory, based on their technology, Inside the hanger, or ¡®closet¡¯ as it¡¯s called in the navy, is the USS New Jersey going into its last maintenance check. Its Captain, Captain J. Edward Snyder, stands in the main control room of the New Jersey, overlooking the deck as his men walk around finishing maintenance checks. He¡¯s just standing there groaning, as the last few weeks have been hell for him, his body feels as if it is going to collapse. But, it¡¯s not for any relation with overlooking New Jersey, it was something, in his mind, far more annoying. Then, he can hear the sound of heels on metal as it gets closer, he feels his soul drop, when the metal door into the room slowly opens, and the outline of a woman appears entering. ¡°Good morning, Mr. American! I have arrived to overlook your ship setting sail!¡± The voice of a woman, of around eighteen years of age for humans, but for her, she¡¯s nearly 200 years old. Ealirel Chaeven, the Elven Princess, ever since the formal friendship between their nations, she was immediately hooked on the Americans and their technology and has made it so that she¡¯ll involve herself with anything regarding the Americans, regardless of their opinion on the matter. The only reason why Snyder could understand what she¡¯s saying is fragments of magic crystals, infused with translation magic by Elven Mages, which he doesn¡¯t bother wondering how it¡¯s possible, as even the scientists back at Fort Nixon have given up on understanding magic. ¡°Please, Miss Chaeven, call me Captain Edward. I have told you this well over a dozen times to you for the last few weeks,¡± he said in a defeated tone. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see why I shouldn¡¯t call you ¡®American¡¯, I have seen plenty of you call my people Elves without regarding names,¡± she says in a smug attitude. ¡°Well, I guess it is true¡­ But, it doesn¡¯t mean that you should not regard someone''s name,¡± Snyder said. ¡°Yes, I suppose that is correct. But, now, what do you think of my dress? I took it upon myself to copy your flag design, red, blue, and white, correct?¡± She says, twirling in the red, blue, and white striped dress. ¡°Good God, this woman is an American freak¡­,¡± Snyder thought to himself. Ever since she began involving herself with the Americans and fell in love with their technology, she¡¯s become a massive freak for America. Despite that, she has no care for their government, but rather is more fascinated by their military. However, this isn¡¯t the strangest thing she¡¯s ever done, was attempting to fly one of the helicopters at Fort Nixon during the July 4th celebration. If the pilot wasn¡¯t there, she could have killed herself and some people that day. ¡°It looks great on you, Miss Chaeven¡­ but perhaps you would like to go onto the deck? I heard we¡¯ll be going into the sea in a few hours?¡± Of course, this was a lie, New Jersey wasn¡¯t planning to venture into the sea until tomorrow, he only said this so that her guards could more easily find her and persuade her to return to her temporary house in the city nearby. ¡°Oh, yes, you are smart, Mr. American! Here, come with me, I wouldn¡¯t wish for the Captain to miss out on such an important event for your ship!¡± Ealirel grabbed Snyder¡¯s wrist and began dragging him out of the control room and led him to the main deck. He pulled her hand off only when finally at the deck, and she began rambling on about something relating to the ship. Snyder, though, had no care for what she had to say and slowly walks away from her as she rambles before suddenly the ship begins to shake, and the chains holding it let go, and it drops into the water. Snyder and Ealirel hold on to something before the ship stabilizes, which excites Ealirel, but not so much for Snyder. As he slowly stood up from the shaking, his number two, Henry Moreno, walked up to him. ¡°Are you alright, Captain?¡± He asks Snyder. ¡°What the fuck was that? Why the hell is the ship embarking? I thought it was due till tomorrow?¡± Snyder asks. ¡°Apologies, I thought they sent a letter to you about it. The Vice-Admiral at Fort Nixon has reported that the ¡®assets¡¯ are moving after what was expected, so we are to depart now. And yes, the men have already gone through the procedures, we¡¯ll be fine to set sail.¡± ¡°God damn it, I wanted to leave the little miss princess over here on the deck for her guards to get her¡­ Wait, where even are her guards?¡± Then, the doors to the ¡®closet¡¯ opened up, and he watched as his remaining men walked onto the ship. Once all men were on board, the New Jersey began to set sail. As it left, Snyder saw what seemed like the princess¡¯ guards in the hangar, and he merely watched them as they disappeared from view as the ship entered the sea. ¡°Now, Mr. American, shall we head to this control room of yours?¡± The princess says as she walks up to him on the deck. He looked around and saw his men confused by the Elven princess, and the particularly strange dress she¡¯s wearing. ¡°Uh¡­ y-yes, let¡¯s do that,¡± he said, as he pushed her along to the control room. ¡°Still would have preferred for you to stay on the mainland,¡± He thought to himself. Once he made it back to the control room with her, he saw his men already on the controls, as numerous smaller navy vessels began to link up with the New Jersey. Currently, the New Jersey is the only large Navy ship currently in the Other World, due to it taking time to disassemble, bring to the Other World, and reassemble, the only reason why the New Jersey was reassembled do quickly was because it was the main ship that was being worked on. Currently, something like an aircraft carrier would take months. Now, a dozen missile boats surround the New Jersey, as well as some FAC (Fast Attack Craft) to give the New Jersey support if needed. Originally, the Navy didn''t use missile boats, but it was believed that using them might be useful when it comes to the fact the enemy ships are wood, not cold hard steel like the ones on Earth. ¡°So, where exactly are we heading to, Mr. American?¡± Ealirel asked him. ¡°For the last time,¡­ forget it. One of our planes spotted a massive fleet of what seemed like galleons heading to the port city, Anyllunaa. Command didn¡¯t think anything of it because it was predicted they wouldn¡¯t get close till tomorrow, but now here they are, a day ahead of schedule.¡± ¡°Galleons? Where are they from, and what are their numbers?¡± Ealirel asked, with some voice of confidence in her voice. ¡°Well, command said around two hundred and three galleon style ships, some smaller ships as well, and they seem to be of Zapad origin,¡± Moreno said, entering their conversation. ¡°Yesterday, a plane spotted that they were closer than what was originally predicted, confusing everyone at command.¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯re using a Nevis Propeller¡­?¡± Ealirel said in a whisper. ¡°Huh, what was that, Miss Chaeven¡­ did you say something?¡± Snyder said. ¡°Yes, I think they¡¯re using a Nevis Propeller, it¡¯s used on large ships in order to travel faster. It¡¯s powered like magic and looks something similar to your ship propellers that I¡¯ve seen, but smaller and made of wood. They¡¯re powered by magic, but a person must control them and are very expensive to use. It¡¯s also a one-use item, meaning they¡¯ve been moving since they left port and continuously replacing them. If I am right, they have one on every ship, which means this could be their entire navy force, and a massive part of their economy spent on it.¡± ¡°So you''re telling me if we destroy every single one of these ships, their Navy will practically be all but destroyed?¡± Snyder said. ¡°As well as possibly desolate their economy?¡± ¡°Obviously! But, I am sure with your ships, you¡¯ll be easily able to destroy them!¡± ¡°Captain, radar shows possible hostels, South East, Unknown number of them. What are our actions?¡± A man said on the radar. Snyder walks to the man and looks over his shoulder onto the radar. ¡°How far out are they?¡± ¡°Approximately thirty miles out. Our main guns should have ranged of five miles out, our missile boats should have ranged in ten. Your command?¡± ¡°Get close in 8 miles. If they prove any hostility, blast their ass back to the 18th century.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± the man said, before getting onto the ship''s coms. ¡°All personal, be advised, we are approaching possible hostiles, all men board guns, be prepared to fire on command.¡± Men began to run across New Jersey manning the large guns, as the main 16"/50 caliber Mark 7 guns on the front began to take aim. Suddenly a flash of red light appeared in the sky, and once it got close it relieved itself to be a ball of fire, which did nothing more than leave a burn mark on the New Jersey¡¯s paint job. ¡°Well, it seems as if they are hostile, Captain. Now, are you going to ¡°Blast their ass back to the 18th century¡±? Whatever that means,¡± Ealirel said. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Alright then.¡± Snyder goes over to the coms, presses the button, and begins to speak. ¡°Enemies South East prove hostile, get the main caliber guns on the front to open fire!¡± Once done, he looked back to Ealirel, and says, ¡°You might want to cover your ears for this, Princess.¡± The nine caliber guns point upward into the sky, before firing their guns into the air. ¡ª The captain of the fleet looks into the air as strange lights appear from the strange massive metal ships. ¡°Seems as if your magic did nothing,¡± he said, as he turned over to the mage on his flag galleon. ¡°Well, how would I know it didn¡¯t do anything. For all, I know, all it left was a burnt mark on them¡­¡± Then, the noise of whistling was beginning to be noticed, and the two looked up as two flashes of light fly past them and into the rest of the fleet, and massive walls of water erupted in the air, and explosions rock the fleet. ¡°What in the fucking hell?! Are they shooting literal light at us!?¡± The captain shouted. ¡°It¡¯s as if they¡¯re using the power of the Gods!¡± A man shouts. Men panic around as more flashes of lights hit the fleet from the ship, as men attempt to get to safety further inside their ships. Eventually, the bombardment of light ends and the captain of the frontal ship leading the ship emerges from underneath. When he looks over into the sea, he sees dozens of broken ships in the water. Wood everywhere, barrels of supplies scour about, dead bodies of men float on the water as blood colors the water surrounding their bodies. Some ships hit are still above water but are slowly sinking. Overall, he sees well over five dozen ships dead. ¡°C-captain, s-shouldn¡¯t we run away?!¡± A man shouts, emerging from the bottom of the boat. He thought of it for a while, it¡¯s possibly the only good option, be he decides against it. He is an emerging captain in the Zapad Navy and proved himself to be a great captain, aiming to gain the rank of admiral. For him to retreat and return to Zapad would be a great humiliation, and given Zapad military culture, he would either be greatly demoted or arrested. ¡°No, we will continue to fight. Raise the red flag! We shall charge at them, and prove that we are not cowards, and prove we are brave! Our names will forever be written down in history by the Gods!¡± The man stood silently, and nodded lightly with some hesitation, before going to raise the red flag. Once the red flag was raised, the rest of the remaining ship began to set sail to the strange ship. ¡ª ¡°Sir, it seems like the remaining ships that avoided the bombardment seem to be charging at us. What¡¯s your command?¡± A man said. ¡°Let them come, let the missile boats and FAC¡¯s engage the remaining ones. Get New Jersey to move with them and engage with smaller guns,¡± Snyder said. New Jersey began to move forward alongside its support. Once in range, the missile ships began to launch their four MM-38 Exocet missiles from their two launch boxes. The missiles fly through the air, not guided, but heading to the galleons. When the first missile hits the boat in the front with a red flag, it takes off the chunk of the ship from the front, and when others begin to hit the boat, destroying it nearly to destruction. The other missiles begin to hit the other ships, taking large chunks out until they began to sink. The New Jersey¡¯s main guns opened fire, and after a while, the remaining ships raised their white flags, surrendering to the New Jersey. The FAC¡¯s began to drive around the broken shipwrecks, taking any survivors from the water and pulling them onto the FAC¡¯s. ¡°Well, little princess, how was that presentation?¡± Snyder said to Ealirel, who was watching the FAC¡¯s grabbing the survivors in the water. ¡°Well, I must say I chose the right day to wear this dress! I knew that your power was great, but this is truly unheard of, only battle reports. In fact, I wasn¡¯t even supposed to be on the ship right now! I was supposed to be in the middle of a meeting right now.¡± Snyder looks at the princess as she gives him a grin, before he gives the order to return back to the hanger. 0610AM NW Time - July 16th - 1969 - Washington D.C - White House Nixon sits in his office as himself and the CIA director helm go over information of the other world. Ever since the US entered the other world, information has been a key thing, making sure everything is in check and going according to plan, if even one thing goes wrong that means Congress would get suspicious of the money going into an unknown project. ¡°Reports state the war is going smoothly, and New Jersey is believed to have completely obliterated Zapad¡¯s navy. As well as that, the fire in the border of the Elves, Vostok, and Zapad have finally died down, and plans for 38th Infantry Division alongside the 10th Mountain Division are being prepared to push into enemy territory. As well as that, Lieutenant General Hal Moore is requesting a joint air-borne and sea invasion of the Zapad capital, as its capital is a coastal city, and their navy is next to non-existence, information courtesy of the Elves. As well as this, he requests more personnel to be sent over, though that part is tricky, despite the nearly over fifteen thousand personnel and the divisions, the ¡®divisions¡¯ are only parts of the actual divisions, as well the men that are there are stretched thin.¡± ¡°Getting all those supplies out for an air-borne, and sea invasion will take another month, but it should be possible until more high caliber ships are reassembled there, replacing the smaller boats, and have them fight alongside the New Jersey. But those men, many were handpicked by the CIA, but you know, war and all, some were just thrown in. I''d like to send in more men now, but I fear leaks will get out given Soviet spies seem to have already found out about the base,¡± Nixon said as he groaned, it¡¯ll be another thing he¡¯ll have to worry about. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a big thing we need to worry about. I assume though that the request for more personnel will be put on hold?¡± Helms said. ¡°Yes, tell him that his request for more men will be pushed for now.¡± ¡°Alright, something else interesting here too. A German scientist called¡­ Sigmund¡­ the man who found out how the Elves and possibly the humans ot the other world use magic, had found something interesting he wishes to show you, Mr. President. Possibly tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see if I have time tomorrow,¡± Nixon said. ¡°Is there anything of interest, Helms?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Some CIA operatives have made contact with a very particular group. A revolutionary group, their name translated into english is the ¡®Saplings of Liberty¡¯. Strange name if you ask me.¡± ¡°Revolutionary group? Are they those Neo-Nazi revolutinary groups, or those democracy kind?¡± Kixon asked, with a bit of enthusiasm in his voice. ¡°Judging from the report, they are democratic, they want to get rid of the current system of government and apparently ¡®re-establish¡¯ a democracy. So they¡¯ve turned to us to help supply them with things like food and weapons.¡± ¡°Well, while I do like my democratic revolutionary groups, especially under our influence, I don¡¯t really see a reason to supply them with things like that. Now with the current Elven government such great allies currently. Why would they think that we¡¯d help supply them?¡± Nixon said. ¡°Well,¡± Helms said as he put a piece of paper in front of Nixon, ¡°I¡¯ve already read it. The CIA operatives apparently wrote this in their report, talking about the meeting they had with their leader. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find it interesting.¡± The paper details things that were brought up in the meeting, from the government truly being an oligarchy, mass starvation for those outside the large cities, any of those who attempted to raise their voice against their treatment would have their villages burned to the ground,and crop failure of over fifty percent. For Nixon, he found the report surprising, as he didn¡¯t expect anything like it to be happening behind their back. ¡°Some of our men have also reported massive amounts of supply wagons each week carrying off possibly over tons of what they described as wheat out of farms. As well as that, the population in major farming towns, despite it being around agriculture, seem to be starving,¡± Helms said, before picking up a cigar. ¡°They¡¯re only feeding those in the cities where the majority of the population live to mask the crop failure, and worsening conditions, but even then, there¡¯s already some food shortages in some places in the cities, mainly slum areas. Afterall, you feed the majority, they won¡¯t care for the minority.¡± ¡°Good God, I thought we were about to open trade with the current government though? So shouldn¡¯t that level out the starvation problem with their people?¡± Nicon asked, standing from his chair and pouring himself a drink. ¡°Well, yes, only problem is that the supply line we were planning to build in order to officially begin trade has been delayed due to unforeseen problems, mainly with Elven civilians attempting to meet with the workers, which have no idea of the elves existence, as well as their main city being in the trees. We originally thought that we would have to resort to using things like our Chinooks to transport things for trade, but it¡¯s too slow, and one of the platforms our Chinooks were using collapsed, so some of the pilots began fearing the other platforms would collapse also. We could divert the road to another area to trade, but the time and money we¡¯re spending already congress is starting to get suspicious. They¡¯ll find out by next month if we keep this up.¡± ¡°Politics¡­ I would have told congress in the beginning if it wasn¡¯t for the damn Democrats, and possible leaks getting into Soviet hands. Gone too far now to tell them,¡± Nixon said, putting his hand on his cheek and resting his head. ¡°;Tell me something else interesting, and I wanna hear all of it.¡± ¡°Well, the two operatives that met up with this revolutionary group¡¯s leader left two comments on what they think of him. The first is that they believe they can be trusted with some restrictions. The other though says¡­ quote unquote, ¡°They are idotic, simple minded fools, with no true idea how democracy, or running a country truly works, but simply that if you have a democracy, all of society''s problems, from famine, to racial tension can be fixed¡±... this is quite the comment.¡± ¡°Well of course they would think like that, they have no role models afterall,¡± A voice rang out in the office, and when Nixon and Helms turned to see who it was, they saw Haldeman, director of the White House Chief of Staff, standing there, closing the door. ¡°How long have you been listening in on us, Haldeman?¡± Nixon asked. ¡°Now long, Mr. President, but long enough. Now, regarding this revolutionary group, of course they would think that, there¡¯s probably no good example for them to lean on, when we were starting out as a nation we had men like James Madison and Benjamin Franklin to help guide us, but them? They only have one man that probably actually knows about how Democracy works. But even then it¡¯s still wrong.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear this, if you have something meaningful spit it out or I¡¯ll need you to leave,¡± Helms said, with a less than friendly tune in his voice towards Haldeman. ¡°Well, what I mean is that they just need a role model, and that¡¯s where we come in. If we take this group under our sphere of influence, we can dictate the future of their world. Currently, the current Oligarchy has been cooperative so far, but I can¡¯t help but imagine once that entire war over there is over, and they start modernizing, they¡¯ll eventually betray us. From what I understand their civilians don¡¯t mind us, they rather seem to like us, but their nobles, most importantly their dukes, not so much.¡± ¡°As much as I may not always agree with him,¡± Helms said, taking a glance at Haldeman. ¡°He¡¯s right, some of my CIA have already been spying on their mainly noble men. They have caught some conversations or meetings with some of them. The translation basically states that they see us like a helpful pet, one they¡¯ll put down once their usefulness is gone,¡± Helms said, taking a deep breath, before sighing. ¡°Clearly, they¡¯re arrogant and prideful bastards. Plus, if the group does come under our influence and they gain control of the country, we can get more land, which equals more things like oil since we¡¯ve confirmed there¡¯s oil there. We¡¯ll need it, since it¡¯s predicted we¡¯ll get into an oil shortage in the 70¡¯s.¡± Nixon stayed quiet for a second, taking the options in, before giving his answer. ¡°Fine, but, If this group really wants our help, I¡¯ll need hard evidence of this mass starvation outside their major cities, and possibly them betraying us in the future. Helms, I trust you can do this?¡± ¡°Certainly, Mr. President, I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± Shortly later, both Helms and Haldeman leave the room, leaving Nixon to drink yet another bottle of alcohol. Time to Set Sail! 1125AM NW Time-Second Summer Rise-Seventeenth Day-0789-Aeqairis Kingdom-Aramore Town Dow, Coltone, and Octavius sit at a bar, mindedly drinking away the bar¡¯s ale while listening to the shouting of the other patrons. But unlike the other patrons who were drinking and partying so early in the day, they were only drinking for the hell of it. The original plan was to get onto a ship and set sail off west to the Elven Island, like the strange old woman had told them, but some factors prevented them from sailing. First, the most obvious one: they are technically broke. Ever since losing their supplies back in the Infirmi capital, they¡¯ve been running around with no money. As a result, when they tried to get on a ship, they only then realized they had no money. The second reason is Dow. Slavery is illegal in Aeqairis, as it is in Infirmi, but unlike in Infirmi, where the government enforces the law, Aequries does not. This results in underground slave auctions, and as a result, slavery is still a big part of Aeqairis, mainly with Beast-Kin. Because of that, Dow has been extremely wary ever since they arrived there, refusing, in some cases, to go out when he fears there¡¯s someone after him. So far, the money they¡¯ve made is barely enough to afford an over-month long journey to the Elven Island, which is even more expensive than any other voyage due to its already being an unusual place for sailors to go. As a result, the only thing they¡¯re currently doing is slowly gathering money by taking any job they can, but that alone will take months. Not to mention the cost of living, such as food and a place to sleep, it is likely that until they find a miracle, they won¡¯t be out sailing on a boat anytime soon. "So... it has been an eventful few days." Octavius tried to lighten the mood at the table, as Dow and Coltone just sat there drinking, simply staring ahead. "Alright, you sad fucks," Ocatvius says, grabbing both their mugs away from them, finally getting their attention. "Now, let¡¯s go over how much money we have." With a slight groan from both Coltone and Dow, they both grabbed the remaining coins in his pocket. "I''ve only got four sturos left." Dow put down four copper coins of Aeqairis on the table, each with the engravings of galleons on them, since Aeqairis had been known to have a large navy. "I only have seven right now. I was supposed to take a job clearing out some goblin gangs east of here, but that got canceled. "God we¡¯re never going to leave this dreadful place," Coltone said, taking his mug of ale back from Octavius. "I''ve only got six here... How much is it for an over-month long voyage to the Elven islands again? " Octavius said, asking both Dow and Coltone. "Since you two have been the ones doing the deals." "It depends on the ship and captain. Travels to the Elves are not very normal, so there should be around eighty Sturos. " Dow was about to finish when Octavius interrupted him. "Great! Only eighty Sturos! I don¡¯t see why we were so worried. "... each Maybe you should learn when to wait for someone to talk before talking over someone," Dow said, grabbing his mug back from Octavius. The group had given up hope at that point.It¡¯s only then, when the noise of the bar begins to die down a bit, that Dow is able to hear something with his ears underneath the cloak he¡¯s wearing, a discussion about a sailor. "Haven¡¯t you heard? An old navy general for Aeqairis is in dock at the port. People say the ship he has is an old galleon he gained from the Queen after his work for the kingdom, "Dow heard a man say." Due to his more enhanced hearing given that he¡¯s Beat-Kin The talk about the supposed old navy general caught his ears, and Dow continued to listen in. "Yeah, I¡¯ve even heard he¡¯ll give free trips to anyone anywhere as long as they ask. I won¡¯t lie, I think I¡¯ll take up the offer, " another man responded. "Yeah, but like hell, I¡¯ll take a trip on his ship. Patched sails, rotting wood, the thing hasn¡¯t had a proper check in years. His entire crew consists of old ex-navy people. "Like hell, I¡¯ll trust them with my life," the same man who talked about the old man responded. Despite the immediate risks that come with the old man and his ship, it might be possible for him to take Dow and them to the Elven Island, so it¡¯s a risk he¡¯s going to have to take. "Guys, I think I figured out a way to the Elven Island..." "To Coltone and Octavius," Dow said, getting their attention. "Seriously? Are you going to mug more drunk guys behind the bar with your body-" Before Coltone could finish, Dow spat the ale in his mouth into Coltone¡¯s face, leaving his face drenched in mouth-soaked ale. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "Well... what solution do you have, Dow? Octavius said, as he handed Coltone a piece of cloth to clean his face off. "I overheard some talk on the other side of the bar, my ears and all, and apparently there¡¯s an ex-navy general in port willing to sail anywhere anyone wants for free. But, it seems as if the ship¡¯s condition is less than subpar..." It doesn''t matter, we¡¯ll take any chance we can get. "I will not let myself be humiliated by the failure of translating these papers," Coltone said, patting the bag on his side and putting the cloth on the table before putting on his helmet. He got up from the table as Dow and Octavius did the same, leaving the bar and walking to the docks. ¡ª¨C After an hour-long walk from the bar to the docks, Coltone, Octavius, and Dow walked down the harbor, walking past multiple people as they went about their days. The harbor was a familiar color, as instead of regular gray stone, the Aeqairis used red bricks, as they thought it gave a positive feeling when merchants docked at their cities, causing more merchants to most likely come. As they walk down the road, passing by people, carriages, and fish stalls alike, they eventually reach a point in the port where there are fewer people. They eventually find the ship of the supposed ex-general. It was immediately obvious it was the ship, as unlike the merchant ships in dock, and in clean and great condition, this ship was very obviously a war ship, a galleon, as evidenced by the dark wood that seemed to be rotting, and the numerous old cannons still poking from its sides. The group looked at the ship in confusion at how it hadn''t sunk yet due to its poor shape. "Then, Colton watched as an old man wearing a gray cloak walked past them, carrying four baskets of fish and other various foods in them, heading towards the ship. Without missing a beat, Cotlone spoke out to the old man, "Uh, excuse me, sir." This question from Coltone caused the man to turn around, revealing his face under the cloak. The first immediate features Coltone saw were his bald head and the massively long gray beard tucked into the cloak, as it hadn¡¯t been cut in decades, and multiple scars over his face, which also revealed his annoyed look at being interrupted in his shopping. "Yes... what can I do for you, lad?" The man asked in a raspy voice, with an annoyed tone as well. "I apologize for interrupting, but my mates and I are looking for the captain of this... "fine "That ship," Coltone said, pointing to the old, battered galleon. At his words, the annoyed look on his face dissipated and turned into a slight grin. "Seriously? Maybe I have to But, what does this captain look like? I don¡¯t have the best memory, lad, " The old man said, his raspy tone still present, but the annoyed tone had faded and been replaced by a slightly amused tone. "Uhh... he was described to have great muscles given his age... and a long flock of gray hair on his head..."?" Dow and Octavius stared at each other in bewilderment, giving an almost "what the fuck" look on their faces. The old man, though, stared at Coltone for a bit, making Coltone think he had said something wrong, before the old man burst into a fit of laughter. "I¡¯m just fucking with you, lad! Come here, fat man, take these, " The old man said, putting the baskets in Octavius¡¯ hands. "C''mon, I¡¯ll let you three on my ship!" The old man said, leading the three onto the old galleon. ¡ª-- Once on board, the three noted how much of a mess everything on the main deck was. Ship equipment was thrown around, barrels with what seemed to be rotten food in them, as well as what seemed to be various holes around them, which further raised the question of whether they¡¯d survive the voyage. "Right, I forgot to introduce myself," the old man said, turning back around to the three. My name is Errol Hartmann. Once a former Navy General of the Aeqairis Navy! " The old man said, with an enthusiastic voice, as he saluted. "Ehh... My name is Coltone. "These two behind me are called Octavius and Dow," Coltone took the initiative, giving himself the look of a leader in the group. "That''s so...? Well, welcome aboard my pride and joy, a once great galleon in the Navy given to me after my retirement, the Aurora, "the old man said, with some pride in his voice. "Well, thank you a lot for letting us on this great-uh, nice ship..." Dow said." Oh, don¡¯t mention it, though. You Beast-Kin have really got to stop wearing cloaks everywhere you go. It makes you more suspicious than you intend, "the old man said," surprising Dow as to how he found out about it. "Surprised, eh? Well, not many folks around here have skin tones darker than sand, so those who do are usually Beast-Kin. Don¡¯t worry about it though, I honestly could care less about your species. Despite the things I¡¯ve seen... " Despite the strange thing he said at the end, Dow took off his cloak, letting his ears and tail be free from their prison. The old man then guided the three to his office in the old galleon, which he had now made into a bedroom. "Now then, I really appreciate you lads joining me on this trip. Most, if not all, immediately leave after seeing the condition the Aurora is in, but she¡¯s still a Goddamn good ship! " The old man shouted, shortly before grabbing a map and laying it across a table, "Now, where would you like to head off to?" "Well, we know it¡¯s well over a month long trip. But, could you sail to Elven Island? " Coltone said, pointing to the southwest corner of the map. "The Elves? Strange, but exotic location.I won¡¯t ask any questions! " The man said as he rolled up the map and put it away, before heading deeper into the ship with Coltone and the group following closely behind. In the lower levels of the galleon, unlike the massively deteriorating outside, the inside was massively furnished, something they were not at all expecting. "Holy shit..." "This looks like the inside of one of those fancy ballrooms those noble people have," Dow said, commenting on the ridiculously large furnished rooms. "That was the style I was going for when I bought all this. After my retirement, I didn¡¯t want to live in a large mansion all my life; I loved the sea too much. As a result, inside the old girl Aurora, she¡¯s completely decked out to the brim in high-class, noble things! Also, don¡¯t touch the cannons; they¡¯re still loaded. " "Well, thank you very much, Sir Hartmann, for letting us be on your ship. "I''m surprised you are honestly willing to bring us the Island of the Elves," Octavius said. Don¡¯t worry about it, but remember, I¡¯m the only one to steer the ship, okay? The old man said, with a threatening tone. "Yeah... we got it..." Dow said. "Great, then first thing tomorrow, this old girl is going to sail across the ocean once more!" The old man shouted.