Hey back with chapter 4 now, honestly thought I might not make it this far but here we are.

Ch 4

It had been three months since the first battle here. At this point we were dug in, yet there were now a two more that followed in quick secession.

I was slumped at the base of one of the guard towers. We had just barely held off the last assault with a few hundred men and some armor. We would get an attack helicopter soon but moving supplies through a city like Karachi was not easy. Life had resumed, though the fear still lingered, Lyari was now starting to recover, though the military was under pressure to find the unaccounted missing, they didn't know that those missing peoples were literally on another planet we still knew very little about. Sure, the length of the year was estimated, gravity was measured and all that, drones had even scouted the surrounding lands, and warned us of these attacks in advance.

But with life returning to a semblance of normalcy meant that traffic was bad, even for the military. However, Umar put the aid and new security to good use, increasing the living standard and starting to clean the city. It would be a long way to go but it was a start.

That's all good and all, but it doesn't change that there is only five hundred of us and they had three hundred thousand. New artillery rounds were coming so that was good news. Still, this showed how little we still knew of this world apart from the Empire. These attackers were different from the Imperials as we called them now. Several different banners were seen confirming that this was an allied force. We were still studying the language, something I was picking up faster than the rest, not to toot my own horn. Umar however had complete mastery, just how.

I made my way to my tent, it was out of the way, next to the barracks proper, damn you woman over the radio. She still hadn't contacted me once since and it was only one way. Umar definitely knew more but wasn't going to spill. Still I started to get along well with the General, once you got him taking he could not stop gushing over his twin children, they took after their mother, and no offence to the general was good cause he was as plain as a sheet of paper.

My horse neighed as I walked over, tied to the pole next to my tent she was well behaved, a beautiful horse, tall and with a deep black coat. I still hadn't named her yet. I started to cam her, the artillery was going off again and the screams as well.

A new moon, perfect for a night raid, which made it unperfect for a night raid since it was expected. Once again that night death surrounded the hill.

She called at last in the morning. It jolted me, I was helping to spot any flankers that night, I was not expecting this.

"Have a nice night?"

"NO."

"Too bad."

"I meant no more bs. Just who are you and what do you want exactly."

"Are you trying to threaten me."

I let out a sigh, remember it's for her safety, "No, I just want some solid answers. You want something from this place so you sent me, and a horse, but haven't told either of us what that is."

"Are you talking to the horse now?"

"No…, but even then, she is still a better conversationalist than you, answers please."

There was a pause, please don't hang up. Plz.

"Listen, you are currently working with the newly founded branch of the ISI, the Cryptozoology and Paranormal Sciences Division, you are there to help continue to provide non-human specimens and knowledge of the currently unexplained, like the workings of the gate. You will do this once the attacks are confirmed to have stopped. You are now semi fluent in their language and will continue to improve as you gather this data, do not worry about the science, though it is advised to look at some myths and legends of fantasy creatures, they are currently our only source of knowledge of potential creatures until the interrogations are over."

"Ok."

"Good, I was going to tell you that your paycheck was cashed in for you by the way. Bye."

I WAS GETTING PAYED!?

I was with the General for tea that night. "So, reconnaissance has proven this?"

"Yes, the enemy is scattered or in retreat the attacks have stopped, we have waited too long we are to start mobile operations into the surrounding country."

"How's everything on the other side."

"It pains me to say but the gate has started to turn things around, increased security has led to a rise in investment, the army is now making a massive push in the North-west and we may finally have that border secured, the Americans will still be skeptical but that is just par for course. Umar is also meeting with some other countries in Dubai apparently."

"What, but why."

"Apparently the ISI branch you work for found something else of interest, something that requires more resources then Pakistan can bare right now. That is however of little relevance to our operations currently, a medical team will come in the morning to check for any illnesses amongst our ranks, the teams that pass will be sent out under guise to gather intelligence, they will conceal weapons and armor traveling in cloths similar to the natives and possess translators and emergency beacons, UCAV's will be sent out on patrol and be at the ready to provide support.."

"I will go out as I normally do in combat."

"What, why?"

"I want attention, I'm here to learn about the unknown apparently, to do so I need to invite attention, that way I can speak to the more important people. I will head out to that village near the forest that drones picked upon. It will be perfect to spot unknown wildlife. Also keep some vehicles on standby incase anything happens."

With that I walked out.

She sniffed the air, a hideous malformed creature, joints bending the wrong way, feet twisted backwards, this thing was an insult to the human form. It crawled on all fours and sniffed again. There was magic in the air, faint, but getting stronger. It made her hungry, and like that, under a pale moon the creature took off. Leaving its latest victim, a young boy now but a puddle of gore on the muddy banks of the Indus, it would be discovered in the morning the only identifying feature being a small poorly made sneaker left in the pool of blood and innards. Just another case, like the last dozen from all along the Indus. One thing was clear, it was headed to Karachi.

So, now starting to use some urban myths of Pakistan. Standard stuff crazy killer mobs, weird vampire creatures, the regular stuff. So yeah, ill try to post a new chapter and see where this leads.