Author: WOW. Three chapters in three days, I feel like thats some kind of new record on the Familiar of Zero forum. Anyways hope you enjoy this chapter too.

WARNING: The following chapter is about to become mindblowingly epic. View discretion is advised.

Nighttime had come and Alex had no idea how or when he fell asleep. All he remembered was waking up to the nauseating smell of blood and war. Something was wrong. He could hear angry yelling outside in the courtyard by the window. Then he heard something else, gunshots. Hearing stomping footsteps below in the first floor of the house, Alex drew his KA-BAR knife from his back pocket and slipped behind the door. After it had saved his life during a rescue mission in Somalia, Alex Tsougi never let his KA-BAR leave his side during a mission. Alex knew that, even in a world of high-tech warfare, nothing could be more reliable than 7 inches of cold steel ripping in to your enemy. Suddenly the door swung open and in stepped a soldier wearing a blue uniform screaming and already firing shots into the empty bed. Like a bolt of lightning, Alex slid behind the soldier and jammed his arm beneath the man's chin, locking his jaw shut while simultaneously driving his KA-Bar in to his heart. Then he delivered the coup de grâce as he stabbed his knife in to the neck of the dying soldier killing him almost instantly without a sound. Alex looked down at the soldier–turned-corpse with a grim feeling. Yes, something was definitely wrong.

Meanwhile the soldiers outside had been gathering the villagers into the center of the courtyard. Some were thrown, face first in to the hard stone streets of the village square, others had to be dragged and the ones foolish enough to resist were killed without mercy. At the head of the soldiers was Sir Richard, the commanding officer of the nearby garrison and one of Albion's few square mages. His familiar, a menacing black fire dragon loomed threateningly over anyone who would dare defy his master. Out of the group of huddled frightened villagers, an elderly man stepped out and addressed the leader of the soldiers.

"I don't understand Sir Richard, what have we done to deserve this brutish treatment?"

The haughty noble took glance at the frail looking elder and sneered. "Don't play innocent old man. One of your villagers has been sheltering a wounded rebel from the forest. That's a crime punishable by death."

"T…tha…that's impossible," sputtered the village elder. "There are no rebels in Springmont forest. At this time of year the forest is completely inhospitable to anyone."

"More lies! It seems you peasants have yet to learn the meaning of respect. Bring me the rebel or I will kill one man by the minute until you do."

"Shut up!" Several heads turned towards the source of the voice as Andreas too had stepped out of the group. Gone were the friendly and cheerful eyes that Alex and the villagers had so often seen before. Instead, they were replaced with eyes of burning rage. "First you take away our women and children, and then you tax us so we don't have enough wheat for the winter and now you're saying it's a crime for us to help a dying man! You're basically persecuting us for crimes that aren't even considered crimes!"

"Indeed," agreed noble, "You have done no wrong, if anyone is to blame then blame your father Andreas, the previous village chief, for it was he who had the nerve to speak out against the government and bring this punishment upon you and your village."

"What?"

"Anyways", continued Richard, "by the order of current rulers of Albion, beloved and merciful to all, I have received orders to take whatever action necessary to ensure the peace within this province. And I think I'll start by killing everyone in this village to deter others from committing such heinous crimes ever again. KILL THEM!"

It was at that exact moment a dark object flew in to the air hitting Richard's familiar dragon in the snout.

"WHO DID THAT!" screamed the enraged noble, "WHO JUST THREW A ROCK AT MY BELOVED SMIRISITH? REVEAL YOUSELF NOW!"

One of the soldiers standing nearby had gone over to pick up the object and now examined it with befuddlement. "Uhhh…Sir" the man reported, "it seems to have be some kind of metal pinecone.

"What? Why would an-"

*BOOM*

Richard never had a chance to finish his sentence as Mk 2 grenade exploded within the soldier's hand killing the dragon and several of the soldiers around him. The patrol never even had a second the register the fact that they were under attack before Alex stepped out of the shadows emptying several rounds from his standard M9 Beretta. With quickness and efficiency of a well trained and experienced soldier, Alex quickly emptied his magazines at the enemy soldiers before they even had a chance to load their primitive muskets. As Alex dispatched the last soldier, a primal instinct within his brain caused him to duck as a giant fire ball passed over his head singeing the backs of his clothes.

"Ho, not bad," said a voice, "you may be more of a challenge than the others."

Alex turned around to face Sir Richard looking at him with a bemused expression as if he was looking at some strange alien. In his right hand was his rapier shaped wand already readying up another spell. Alex sighed, "Oh great, first it's a magical continent, then it's a bloodthirsty dragon and now it's a fucking wizard. No one's going to believe this when I get back." Alex looked over to where he had dropped his pistol when he had ducked and knew instantly that he wouldn't have enough time to retrieve it before the his opponent threw another fireball at him, instead he once again drew his KA-BAR knife. And threw it.

"Ha! Pathetic!" cried Richard as he easily deflected the small knife with his rapier, "Is that the best you can do peasant?"

But that was exact moment Alex had been waiting for. As Richard deflected his KA-BAR, he not only delayed his own spell but he had also swung the rapier away from his own body leaving himself completely open. At that moment Alex charged and smashed the arrogant noble into the ground with a football tackle that would have made any NFL athlete proud. Using Special Forces Combat style grappling techniques, Alex pinned down the noble's arms using his knees and looked down at his prey.

It was at that moment Sir Richard knew that he was, for the lack of a better word, fucked. Despite all his experiences on the battlefield, Richard had always fought and won his battles on his terms with his opponent at a safe distance from where he could fire his spells with impunity. However, in close quarters hand-to-hand combat without his wand against a well veteraned Special Forces operative like Alex, he never stood a chance. Alex slammed his elbow into the face of the well groomed noble shattering his nose with a resounding CRACK. He continued his brutal blows ignoring all of the man's threats and pleas for mercy until he was sure his victim was dead.

At last Alex stood up and turned to face the villagers. In hindsight, Alex knew he should never have expected much more but when all he saw were the terrified expressions of the villagers looking at him as if he were some kind of monster, Alex had to admit he was a little disappointed. Recognizing a familiar face, Alex walked over to Andreas and helped the man, who had only a little earlier saved his life, to his feet.

"Well, you saved my life and now I saved yours so I guess were even."Alex grinned at Andreas.

"I guess so." Andreas grinned back. "But still, thank you."

Alex frowned, "Andreas, who were these people, why did they attack us, and what's going on?

Grimly, Andreas began to describe the events that had recently shaken the country of Albion to its core. He described how Reconquista overthrew the previous monarchy and declared war on Tristein. He described the death of Cromwell and the failed invasion Albion. And lastly Andreas explained the current situation of Albion, how the consulate, the hated old men who had already caused so much misery, were holed up in their fortress in Londonium doing everything they possibly could to keep their mad hold on power, even executing Andreas' father and taking the women and children of their village.

Upon hearing Andreas' explanation, Alex had understood immediately why the terrified expressions of the villagers seemed so familiar. He had often seen those same expressions during his service as a Ranger on the face liberated refugees in third world autocratic nations. These refugees did rejoice in their new found freedom or security. Instead they feared the imminent retaliation of their tyrannical rulers and Alex knew the same rules must have applied here.

"Andreas, those soldiers… they're going to come back again aren't they?"

"I don't see how," Andreas cheerfully replied, "you killed all of them."

"No Andreas, don't you see? Those soldiers were a patrol group that was sent to kill all of us. When they realize why the patrol group didn't come back, they'll send and even larger army to finish the job."

Andreas fell silent for a moment as he realized the implications of what Alex had just told him. "We have to do something"

Alex nodded. "We have to fight back of course, but the problem is, will they" Alex pointed his thumb over to the huddled villagers.

"Can you convince them to fight?"

"I can try."

"Well then…try! Please you need to help us!"

"Well…" Alex turned around unsurprised to find that he already had a rapt audience. After all, they haven't exactly been talking quietly. "Here goes nothing."

"Hey guys," he addressed the crowd, "let me ask you one thing. Aren't you ashamed to have been degraded into this wretched state? Do you think your children would proud to see you cowering like a bunch of rats? Are you going to just sit there and feel sorry for yourself while your wives and daughters are probably being raped in the labor camps? Are you going let your families suffer for you cowardice? Or are you going to grow a pair and fight back to leave a legacy your decendants can be proud of? Cuz even if you die at least you can face your ancestors and boast proudly that you died fighting the fight, that you died protecting your loved ones. Recover you pride, recover your families and return to your position as proud human beings!"

As Alex looked back at his audience he glad to see there was no longer and fear within the eyes of the villagers. Instead he saw rage and determination. It seems like the revolution had begun.