Chapter 6: The Wolf Awakens
June 27th, 1920, Volga, Autocratic East Europan Imperial Alliance
Adolf was nervous; the prototype tank (which he has dubbed the Leman Russ, after a famous hero that rode on wolves in the frozen norths that his mother once told him about when he was younger), was nearing completion. According to his uncle, the Leman Russ was an imposing tank, unlike the current light tanks that the Imperial Army was using. Its size that towers over men, its armor gives an impression of invulnerability, and its main weapon 75mm cannon was tested and shown to shoot farther and more accurately than the 47mm of Krimm's design.
Yet, Adolf couldn't help but wonder the 'what if'. What if the prototype failed? What if it broke down, and the Emperor was 'less than enthused' about attending a failed weapons test? That said, his Uncle assured him (once again) that Tula wouldn't be struck down by the Emperor.
But his uncle's word, and the positive reports from the engineers at Tula could not calm his nerves, nor quiet his thoughts. Looking for a distraction, Adolf turned his attention to his report card from his school and a letter from Gytha.
His report card painted the picture that Adolf became all to all aware of; a lonely prodigy. The lessons naturally came to him, (especially science, mathematics, and history) but he was always alone. Despite attending a private school that was tailored for those amongst the nobility, Adolf was always alone like he was in his past. His albinism has made his hair completely white, his attitude and knowledge made those around him either envious of him or fearful of him. Adolf never understood why he inspired envy or fear; he never went out of his way to show off his knowledge, nor did he terrorize others.
The letter from Gytha however gave him something to ignore the nervous thoughts of the upcoming weapon tests and his lack of company around him.
To Marquis Adolf Gregor of Volga,
I have overheard my father and mother that he is about to leave soon to attend a weapon test near Volga. I assume that it involves Tula armaments; Maximillian told me that you were working on something, but he didn't tell me what. If so, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors; at least someone our age is working on making a name for themselves.
My brother Archer continues to be annoying, although how he impresses people with his clearly ludicrous tales is beyond me. Perhaps the appeal of being close to the royal family is enough for people to abandon their common sense? In any case, I wish to relay to you something that might interest you.
I've managed to convince my father, despite some protest from mother, to allow me to attend the Naval Academy when I turn 14 (I managed to get in early due to my birthdate), and then the Muscovy Military Academy after graduating from the Naval Academy. If you maintain your course, we will be attending the Academies; we might even share classes.
The reason for this is because I've decided to give up my right to the throne, in return for a higher standing in the military. I know that I've no chance to becoming Empress of the Empire, therefore, I will choose the next best option, and becoming a General of a Military District is the best option for myself.
I would be interested in attending the weapon test, however if you don't want me to come, I understand. I have no doubt that the stress of impressing my father is very great. I will say this; despite him becoming more…cold since my older brother's death that started the War, he is still forgiving. Don't fear incurring his wrath should your weapon test fail; so long as it holds potentials and you do nothing to insult the Emperor personally, you should be fine.
It grows late, so this is where I shall end. If you don't mind my appearance, please return a reply to me.
Sincerely,
Gytha Svetlana Gaius.
Adolf was interested in Gytha's path. It was similar to his, but why would a royal princess enter the military life? He understood her opinion about the path of succession, but the military was a harsh and demanding life, even in times of peace. But he knew that peace was nothing but the buildup to the next war, and the Empire would be gearing for war once more against the Atlantic Federations and the damn Gallians. Grabbing a pen and a piece of paper, Adolf set to writing his response.
To Princess Gytha Svetlana Gaius, 17th heiress of the Imperial Throne,
It's been a while hasn't it? While I would love to regale you with tales of triumphs, but in reality it has been dull. Besides my project, my training, and my education, not much has occurred in my life. My uncle has been around a couple of times, and mostly it was to oversee how my training was going and to give me reports about the progress made on the project. It goes well, almost nearing completion to be sure, but it has been dull.
I have read your letter, and I'm concerned about your developing opinion to join the military. It's not that I doubt your drive or your capability, but rather I fear that you have a naïve sense of what life in the military is like. Sure there are moments of glory and great achievements, but it is grueling, harsh, and in war pain and loss are as common place as is the air we breathe. I don't want you to regret your choice, but if you are committed, I will aid you in whatever capacity as I can.
With that said, I don't mind if you come to the weapon test. It's probably going to be boring all things considered, but you are more than welcome to come. Dress lightly, as it will get quite hot, as Summer is in full swing here in Volga.
A Servant to the Imperial Will,
Adolf Gregor
Satisfied with the letter, he enclosed it in an envelope before sealing it with a wax stamp the imbedded the coat of arms of the Gregor family. Adolf sighed.
"I wonder, what would father say with what I'm doing? Would he understand why I'm preparing to bring ruin to Gallia?"
"Son, he would understand but be sad." Adolf turned around quickly, seeing his mother standing in his room's doorway. His mother seemed to have been aging faster than normal; whether it was from the grief of his father's passing or something else he didn't know, but his mother's youthful face seemed to have grown gaunter with each passing month. She also seemed to be wearier as of late, not unlike his Uncle was at times.
"What do you mean mother?" Adolf asked. His mother sighed.
"Your father wasn't a war monger, he was a proud man whose focus was on his family and his service to the empire. He would be proud of you even if you didn't go after those responsible for his death, but he wouldn't want you to throw your life away."
"But I'm not mother!" Adolf sharply argued. "The Gallians killed him, shooting him as he tried to get his men out of his tank! They deserve to suffer for father's and the countless Imperial deaths during the war!" His mother sighed.
"What point will revenge be if you die?" Evelyn Gregor countered. "Even if you have a family of your own, if you die, then you leave the responsibility on your children's shoulders. I've seen you regiment your life, and I grow concern for you. Please, think it over. Make sure you actually want to risk your very life to avenge your father. I don't want to see you destroy your life."
"I won't mother," Adolf confidently promised. "You won't see me die, and I won't destroy my life." His mother smiled, though Adolf could see the defeat in it.
"Alright son. Now head to bed it's late and you need your rest."
Glancing at the clock, Adolf saw it was fast approaching midnight.
"Yes mother," Adolf replied sullenly.
Sighing wearily, Adolf got up before changing into his night clothes and preparing for bed. When he was finished, Adolf got under the covers and turned off his lamp. He closed his eyes, hoping to get some sleep to take his mind of his worries about upcoming weapon's test. It wouldn't work out to his favor.
July 16th, 1920, Tula testing grounds, Volga, Autocratic East Europan Imperial Alliance
Adolf Gregor fiddled with the neck of his uniform, cursing his albinism. Due to his skin's intolerance to sunlight, he was forced to wear a full dress uniform, a pair of sunglasses, gloves, and a cap to cover as much skin as possible. The only skin exposed was that on his neck and his face. It would've been fine, had it not been a scorching 29 degrees Celsius. He felt like he was cooking up in his uniform.
His uncle chuckled next to him. He was in his full military uniform, complete with ribbons and medals, and yet he remained cool.
"How are you so cool in this heat?" Adolf asked his uncle, wiping his brow.
"Simple; I'm not," Berthold answered. "That said, I've been in full combat gear in the Southern countries during a heat wave, so this heat is positively cool in comparison to that."
"Yeah, but it doesn't help me now does it?" Adolf muttered darkly. He felt the impact of his uncle swatting the back of his head.
"That's not the point," his uncle stated imperiously. "The point is to not let the heat bother you. In the military, you will have to get used to the heat. It will take time to be sure, and there will be plenty of discomfort, but you will endure the heat."
Adolf nodded, not enjoying that his uncle was right. He simply hated the heat, but perhaps it was because he had plenty of sunburns on even pleasant days. Adolf then resigned himself to be at mother nature's mercy, as today was the day the Leman Russ was shown off for the first time.
"Ah, here they are now," Berthold Gregor said. "Adolf, straighten up."
Adolf quickly nodded and saw the motorcade that was filled with people coming to see the Leman Russ tank. The first men out where the various soldiers and officers, the soldiers protecting the motorcade and its passengers and the officers looking to see what the new tank could do and if it was worth the effort.
Then came the people Adolf knew he had to win over, the royal family. The first was the imposing Emperor Mikhail Gaius, followed closely behind by Gytha Gaius and a bit behind the other members Adolf hadn't gotten to know personally was Maximillian. Adolf knew Maximillian was coming, he had decided to come three months prior to see for himself if he should invest in the design and Tula armaments. He hadn't expected the other royals, but perhaps they were here to either tear down the design or sabotage him to sabotage Maximillian's chances at the throne. Whatever the case, it didn't matter to him; he would show off the Leman Russ the best way he could; by having it go up against its competitor, the Krimm Light Tank.
It took a moment for the officers, soldiers, and Royal family to get to the designated observation point.
"Good day your highness," Berthold said, bowing before the emperor, who curtly nodded for Berthold to continue. "Today the Tula Armaments has developed and built the first of hopefully many of a new series of tanks, the Leman Russ Battle tank."
At this, the Leman Russ tank rolled out from behind the hangar from which it was built. Adolf was very proud at seeing the tank roll out, it was truly a sight to behold. The tank rolled past the Krimm Light Tank and it dwarfed Krimm's design. Also, the 75mm battle cannon made the Krimm's 45mm main gun seem pathetic. It also looked better in Adolf's opinion, being imposing unlike Krimm's bulky and dorky design.
He saw several of the officer raising their eyebrows, seemingly impressed at how the tank looked, but he could also see a few of them doubting the design. Hopefully he could prove them wrong.
"As you see, the Leman Russ Battle tank is larger than the current Light tank employed by the Imperial Army, but this is due to its increased armor protection. It has four times the armor as the Krimm Light Tank, for a maximum armor thickness of 80mm. In addition, it mounts a larger 75mm cannon which can use high-explosive and armor piercing shells, thus saving time in both manufacturing tanks and in resupplying tanks as it doesn't have multiple weapons to supply with different ordnance needs."
"But that much armor would slow down our tanks, thus slowing down our army's advances," denounced a young man within the royal family, Adolf saw that he shared a lot of the features of the Emperor, but with blonde hair and wearing a flowing blue and white cape.
"It is slower indeed Prince Marx, but it can still achieve 35 km/h as opposed to Krimm's 45 km/h." countered Berthold Gregor. "So it can still keep up with most of the army. The biggest advantage is its simple to build and extremely reliable. A trained crew can make field repairs in an hour or two, compared to the standards set by the Krimm Light tank of four to five hours."
"How does the tank fair in combat conditions?" Maximillian inquired. Adolf saw a slight twitch in his uncle's face, as though he wanted to smirk.
"The Leman Russ is capable of resisting most cannons employed by the Atlantic Federation, with the only threat being the unwieldly MH1917 105mm howitzer. The most common anti-tank weapons, being the 55mm cannons fitted on the Atlantic's medium tanks and their anti-tank lances were tested and the Leman Russ only sustained superficial damage," Berthold answered. The Emperor nodded, going up and walking around the Leman Russ.
"Tell me General Gregor, are there any faults with this tank?" the Emperor inquired. Adolf knew there were a few faults, that in hindsight should've been added, but when the solution to the problem came in, they had a week before this test.
"A few minor issues, that our engineers have already begun addressing," Berthold answered. "The tracks are particularly vulnerable to attack, but with a modification, a track guard could cover the top of the tracks from most attacks. The tank lacks a dozer blade to enable it to go through enemy obstacles and difficult terrain, but again the engineers assure me an after production dozer blade kit can be easily installed. Finally, the ragnite engine is stored within the tank to prevent a critical explosion from attacks to the rear, but this means that temperatures within the tank can reach sweltering temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius."
Adolf kept his face calm, but internally he was hoping that particular problem wouldn't make the emperor from canning the project. It was a problem that was only noted two days ago, when during a test drive the crew complained of being extremely hot. A thermometer was put inside and it clocked in at 42 degrees, when it was only 28 degrees outside. However, it seemed as though the Emperor didn't care about that problem.
"Our soldiers are disciplined to not take notice of such heat," Emperor Mikhail noted. "I wish to see the tank in action at once."
"Of course your highness," Berthold Gregor said, bowing once more before ordering the crew to begin the practical demonstration.
The entire audience watched as the Leman Russ preformed the standard mobility test, performed a live fire exercise, and shrug off shells from the Krimm light Tank. By the end, Adolf could see the military officers were appreciating the tank for its worth. While it sacrificed some mobility (not just raw speed but also hull and turret traverse), it more than made up for it with superior firepower and protection.
But Adolf could see some of the older members of the Royal family discussing amongst themselves, and he made out their general dislike of the vehicle. Glancing at Maximillian, he subtly nodded to the Royals in question. Maximillian peered at them before mouthing Krimm supporters. Adolf rolled his eyes; of course the royals that supported Krimm would be here, they most likely didn't want to lose their control over the military industry to a revitalized Tula Armaments.
But as the Leman Russ came to a stop, Adolf saw the Emperor was smirking in approval. Emperor Mikhail approached his uncle.
"General Gregor, it's good to see that Tula armaments has once again entered the arms race," Mikhail said with genuine approval. "This Leman Russ tank will be a fine addition to the Imperial Guard Army."
Adolf's, his uncle's, members of the royal family, and several of the officer's eyes widened in shock. The Imperial Guard Army were the Empire's most veteran and best equipped army within the Empire. Only those that served for three terms and saw frontline conflict for over 6 months were allowed in, and they only accepted the best equipment, all of which must be approved by the Emperor.
"It's humbling to have this tank receive such high regards your highness," Berthold Gregor replied. "How many will the Imperial Guard require?"
"For now two hundred tanks, the 1st Imperial Guard Regiment Cadia will be taking the tank for combat duties, and depending on their feedback requisition orders will be filled out," Mikhail stated clearly. "I have duties back in Muscovy that need my attention, I shall see you later General Gregor during the October Wargames."
"Of course your highness," Berthold answered, bowing again. Emperor Mikhail turned to leave, with most of the officers and royal family moving back to the motorcade, leaving Adolf and Berthold with Maximillian and Gytha.
"Congratulations are in order Adolf Gregor," Maximillian said. "I shall back Tula Armaments as per the agreement, and I will be sure to head to Tula when I have need for unique weapons for my forces."
"Of course your grace," Adolf replied. "Is there something you wish to discuss?" Maximillian nodded.
"I have a project that will…take time to prepare, but that said, I have something of a request to make." Pulling out an envelope and handing it to Adolf, Maximillian continued. "In order to achieve my goals and uphold my end of the bargain, the war with Gallia will need some unique vehicles for my future commanders. Right now I want proposal for some designs, something to compare before the war with Gallia."
"I assume the requirements for the vehicles is in the envelope your grace?" Adolf asked. Maximillian nodded.
"Yes, but onto a matter that is connected to this one; Gytha has agreed to become one of my future commanders." Adolf was surprised by this development, and as such he didn't see the frown that came on his uncle's face.
"Is this true Princess Gytha?" Adolf asked. Gytha nodded.
"Yes, it was Maximillian that offered to assist me in becoming a military commander, and in return I serve for him in the Gallian Campaign," Gytha confirmed. "I get what the military command I desire, and he gets the necessary clout to become the next Emperor."
"Why do you wish for Prince Maximillian to become the crown heir?" Berthold asked. Gytha shrugged.
"I have no desire nor ability to secure the throne for myself, and I rather choose someone who has some interest in the Empire's integrity and not some deluded sense of fame and glory," Gytha supplied. "Prince Maximillian is amongst the best candidates, and while it's wrong to speak ill of my family, too many of the potential heirs are fools, coasting on their titles. Maximillian seems to be the only one trying to make his mark."
Berthold nodded, but made sure to file this knowledge away. First Adolf and now Gytha, both of whom will be unleashed against Gallia for Maximillian's push for the throne? Giving in to Adolf's hatred of Gallia for weapons and a possible loyal commander made sense, but to seek to lead an army to take over Gallia with now Gytha under his wing didn't. What was so vital about Gallia that Maximillian was literally making an army? Ragnite was vital, but he knew of other fuel sources that others have noted by not developed due to ragnite's sheer power output, and the empire had plenty of future dig sites for future ragnite excavation, it was using the perceived ragnite shortages as an excuse for future expansion.
"Alright, so what does Gytha need for her future post?" Adolf asked. Maximillian smirked, and Gytha looked at Adolf with a shark's smile.
"I intend to lead a fully mechanized army, and as such I require a tank suitable for the task of acting as my army's centerpiece," Gytha informed Adolf. "At the moment, I want it to be nigh penetrable from any current anti-tank weapons and to field a massive cannon, but until I learn more about military tactics, I won't give any specifics to the tank's specification. But I know I will be wanting a more suitable transport for my troops than the current trucks, and the Leman Russ tank seems like it would be a good model for my army's tanks."
"I see," Adolf said, his mind reeling from the fact that Gytha was indeed serious about joining the military and was going to serve under Maximillian, his primary backer and possible future commander.
"Well, I will be busy with designing a suitable transport vehicle, an area the Empire sadly hasn't built upon despite our increasing reliance on tanks, and I will design a number of possible command tanks, along with whatever Maximillian has requested of me," Adolf noted.
"Thank you for your support in my endeavors Marquis Adolf Gregor," Gytha said.
Berthold watched as Adolf bowed with a slight almost unperceivable blush at the princess's words, noting some similarities between Adolf and his late brother Clemens. Both, it seemed, latched onto a woman that captured their interest. Clemens gravitated to Evelyn due to Evelyn's caring nature and her ability to win over people with her words, while Adolf was gravitating to the budding military-minded Gytha. He knew if this developed, he would have to coach Adolf carefully. Despite surrendering her right to the throne, Gytha was still a Imperial Princess, and as such any misstep could see Adolf cast down by the Emperor.
"Alas, we must leave now if we are to reach the train station," Maximillian stated, checking his gold plated pocket watch. "Marquis Gregor, I look forward to working with you. Come Gytha." Gytha nodded but before leaving she turned to Adolf.
"See you later Marquis Gregor, and may our pursuit of command yield much in our favor," Gytha said. Adolf bowed again.
"Likewise to you to your Grace," Adolf said.
The two royals turned to leave, allowing Berthold to grab his handkerchief to wipe his glasses.
"Well, at least the test was a success," Berthold commented. "I will be sure to get the factories up and running, we have afterall two hundred Leman Russ tanks to make."
"Indeed we do," Adolf agreed. He paused. "Uncle, how difficult would it be to modify the Leman Russ?" Berthold raised an eyebrow.
"Modify how?" Berthold asked. Adolf sighed.
"Like adding weapons, improving the transmission, modifying the main cannon, things like that," Adolf clarified. Berthold realized what Adolf was up; extending the service life of the Leman Russ and giving it new combat potential.
"I will have to ask the engineers, but I'm certain that once they hear the success of your first design, any future designs you come up with will be taken seriously and they will due their damndest to make it happen." Berthold answered.
"That's good, because I have a few ideas that I wish to discuss and bounce off of you," Adolf admitted. Berthold chuckled; he looked forward to see what his nephew thought of.
July 20th, 1920, Unmarked Research Facility in Eastern Europa
"So this is Subject #7, aka Selvaria Bles…hmm I was expecting with a bit more flair for a descendant of a Valkyur," commented a young woman. She was of average height, with pale skin and black hair. She wore black clothes underneath her white lab coat and glasses.
"Yes, but most of the subjects never even knew of their ancestry," noted Erich Mengele. "I wouldn't be so surprised that they would have fairly normal names Doctor Förster."
Clementia Förster nodded. She was brought onto the Valkyria Research team by Mengele due to her will to do anything in order to get valuable data. For her final project at the Imperial University of Science, she subjected one hundred undocumented Darcsens that she 'borrowed' from a mining company in the fringes of the Empire to test the effects of Ragnide Gas and to determine how exactly the gas killed its victims, observing them whilst they choked and died from the effects of the nerve gas.
This callous disregard for ethics prompted Mengele to get his hands on her, as recently the research team had hit a dead end with improving the abilities of the Valkyurs under them. He needed someone willingly to do anything to achieve results, and he found the perfect person.
"So why exactly am I here Dr. Mengele?" Clementia asked. Mengele handed Dr. Förster a folder with previous experiments and the current status of all of their subjects.
"At this moment, the transfusion of ragnite into the subjects' system is losing its effect. Granted, they still have the unnatural resistance to damage and can regenerate from their injuries, but their previous actions of manipulating the energy from ragnite has faltered for the lack of a better word," Mengele explained. "At the moment, some of the research staff are looking into lore about ancient Valkyurs for clues, but nothing has yet come up from that approach."
Clementia tilted her head as she read the folder. The approach that the research team were using were very blunt force; simply inject subjects with normally lethal doses of ragnite and observe the results. The amount given was exactly the same despite subjects being varying ages, weight, height, and health. When she tested on the Darcsens, she had begun from the littlest amount of Ragnide gas and crept the exposure till death was a guarantee. It made sure that all variables were accounted for.
"Perhaps the method of exposing the subjects to ragnite is too blunt to speak," Clementia began. "Right now you're simply pumping them full of ragnite and observing the results. This is awfully inefficient, both in terms of material cost and time. Maybe we should research in seeing how subjects can manipulate ragnite outside of their bloodstream."
Mengele raised an eyebrow in confusion, before getting to the thought process Clementia was going through. The legends of the Valkyur and how their liberated Europa from the Darcsens actually formed a major, if not weakened, religion that worshipped the Valkyurs as Goddess of War and purity. In those legends, they spoke of the Valkyurs wielding bright lances that glowed with azure mist. Perhaps those lances were made out of ragnite.
"That's an interesting thought process Dr. Förster, but tell me, if your hypothesis is true, that the lances of the Valkyur were made of ragnite, how will we contain the young valkyurs? I doubt they wouldn't try and seek vengeance against us."
"Simple," Clementia began. "We make the young Valkyur become dependent of someone. Note I didn't say attachment; emotions could throw the tests off, and we wouldn't want that."
"I agree, however that may be a problem with subject #7; our biggest supporter, Prince Maximillian wants subject #7 to be his personal Valkyur, for reasons unknown." Clementia shrugged.
"It's a single subject," Clementia said, walking to a window the overlooked a cafeteria filled with young test subjects and their handlers. "Afterall, we have dozens to replace her." Dr. Mengle smiled viciously at Clementia's total disregard for the subjects.
"Yes, indeed we do."
July 22nd, Volga, Autocratic East Europan Imperial Alliance
Adolf was fast asleep, his mind finally resting after the success of the Leman Russ demonstration. However, his dreams weren't his usual dreams; it wasn't of him atop of his command tank watching Randgriz burning, it wasn't of him being awarded the Imperial Knight's Cross of Steel by the Emperor himself, and it wasn't the rare dreams of him watching a couple of his children running around freely in the Gregor estate.
No, this dream was surreal, almost life like in the amount of details he could make out. He was observing a very imposing king. He had the blackish-blue hair common of the Darcsens, with a beard that was neatly trimmed and tapered to a point. His face was however really pale, almost like his own, and he was wearing a suit of black armor, with a sabre on his hip.
"Men, the azure witches are on our doorsteps!" the man shouted. "We must hold them back, for the glory of the of the Dark Sun Empire! To battle my fellow countrymen!"
Adolf turned and saw a conglomeration of men, both Darcsens and non-Darcsens, all wearing the pitch black armor that their king wore, with swords that seemed to have red veins in the blade. They let out a war cry, boosting their morale before the battle. The king ordered a gate to be open, and the men flowed out the gate like an avalanche, their war cries carrying them into battle.
But as Adolf watched the men exit the safety of their fortress, he saw across the plains a formation of war maidens, with bright azure lances and shields in their hands. They marched in perfect formation, neither letting out a war cry nor rushing forward. Instead they marched with an unearthly silence. They stopped about a hundred yards from the advancing army, leveling their lances.
In unison, the lances began to seemingly spiral, building up energy before shooting outward towards the army. In that moment, Adolf watched in horror as the blue beams of energy impacted the army, burning away the men into nothing more than ash. The advance ground to a halt, as easily a half of the army was now ash. The war maidens began moving onto the men, first in a fast walk before sprinting, catching up to the now stopped army.
It soon became a massacre, as the war maidens swung this way and that, their lances ripping through the armor of the king's army and sending the men flying with massive burns on them. The men futilely tried to fend them off, but their weapons bounced off the war maidens' shields, and their resistance was paid with the azure lances imbedding into them. Adolf turned to see the king snarl, before flipping his helmet's visor down and charging into battle himself. But that was when Adolf noticed a sudden change.
The king, who once seemed a charismatic leader, became an enraged monster. His armor and sword began to light up, with red lines crisscrossing all over the metal. He let out an roar of defiance, before jumping into the air and striking at one of the war maidens. Unlike his men however, the king's sabre slashed straight through the maiden's shield, and he quickly took the maiden's surprise to his advantage, cutting off her head.
This moment the battle seemed to change pace, as the king's army's armor and blades seemed to glow a similar red to that of the king. The men began to combat the war maidens on equal terms, their clearly better training showing as the men began to cut down the maidens when they left very large openings for them to exploit. The maidens began to be routed, and the king once more unleashed a roar that seemed to invigorate his men. But it was too early to celebrate.
Across the battlefield, a massive barge flowed down the river, with a massive spear that pointed to the heavens. Adolf watched as the spear began to amass a shield of energy, before unleashing its wrath onto the king's army. In a massive azure blast, the land was burned, the men ripped apart to not even ashes, and the fortress crumbled. When the light faded, Adolf saw the war maidens standing unharmed in the battlefield, with only the king able to resist the azure blast.
"It's over King Greymont," a tall woman in silver army and long white hair announced. "Your armies are nothing more than ashes. Kneel before me and I shall spare you your feeble existence."
Adolf watched as the King growled before lunging forward with his sabre. It got through the shield, but unlike the other maidens, this one twisted on the spot, avoiding the second strike. She lunged at the king, but his armor held, the red glow twisting at the lance. The maiden noticed this before jumping back.
"You fiend," the woman spat. "You dare corrupt our lances of purity with your Dark Grasp of Madness?! Death will be too good a punishment for your sins!" The woman motioned for the remaining maidens to move in, but the King moved quickly, parrying the incoming lances with his sabre. However, the king failed to notice the one woman pulled out a silver blade, designed like a raiper. She came up from behind the King, who was too busy fending off a strike from one of the maidens, and thrusted the blade through a crack of his plate armor. The king spluttered as blood began to choke him. Collapsing to his knees, the King turned to face the woman once more.
The King tried to speak, but found himself unable. Settling for a final roar of defiance, the King began to shake violently, his armor shuddering as red veins began to crackle with an unknown energy. The woman's eyes widen.
"You dare unleash the Black Death upon your own land?! Does your madness know no bounds?!" She saw the King turn his head one final time, his eyes glowing red in pure hate.
"Everyone, fall back!" the woman ordered. The war maidens began sprinting as fast as they could to the war barge, but a mere hundred yards away from the barge, the energy that was building up around the king was unleashed. Red veins poured into the land and spread across the air, quickly engulfing the battlefield, the fortress, and was rapidly approaching the retreating war maidens. Adolf watched in morbid fascination as the energy unleashed ripped apart the land, and igniting the air into a uncontrolled fireball. He saw the war maidens that were victorious become engulfed by the spreading energy, their bodies being ripped apart before bursting into black flames. Only a few war maidens and the lead maiden managed to escape the blast.
Moments later, the smoke began to clear away, leaving Adolf and the war maidens a view of a scorched land, leaving nothing in its wake but ruins and dead earth. The land had burrows and holes once where there were lush green fields. Despite being spared the dangers of the energy blast, the river was dried up, the heat from the blast being too much for the water. The war maidens for once showed some emotions, crying for their losses, while their leader was gnashing on her teeth.
"From this day forth, the descendants of the Dark Suns shall suffer in our pain," the lead war maiden vowed. "This calamity will be our rallying cry to punish those responsible for the heretics' actions! We shall never forget this day, nor shall we ever forgive these crimes!"
Adolf felt himself snarling at the woman's hypocrisies. From his standpoint, their army achieved victory, and it was only the King's final blow that was of anything to punish, and he now laid dead. It was simple spite, nothing more or less.
However, his dream shifted to a new scene, to a small fortress that laid on a river. There were people, mostly non-Darcsens, weeping for unknown reasons. At the head of the room sat two thrones, the smaller one being occupied by a woman in regal white clothes, clutching onto a pale child. A door opened, and a man with a silver plate of armor over red clothes entered.
"King Greymont and his army are dead, the azure maidens are marching this way to finish the job and kill his heir!" the messenger shouted. "What shall we do my lady?!" The room went silent, before the woman on the smaller throne spoke.
"I am my child shall go into hiding under a new name," the woman, the queen, began. "When the azure maidens arrive, tell them that the people revolted and killed me and my child." The room broke out into commotion, with most of the people arguing against this course of action.
"Silence!" the queen shouted. "My family will abdicate the throne. Lord Garius will assume the throne and pay fealty to the azure maidens. Nothing matters more than the survival of the Empire."
"How will we find you or your heir once the maidens are gone?" a man with a thin mustache asked. The queen sighed.
"The family name will be Gregory, and we will head to the South. We will remain in hiding until it is safe to return," the queen answered. The people in the room became silent, realizing the queen's sacrifice. Adolf, along with most of the room, realized that even if they returned, it was unlikely they would ever be able to reclaim the throne.
"As you command it, it shall be done," the man said. "The Empire will not forget your sacrifice, my lady."
"I hope not," the queen said softly. Adolf felt a slight tug, before he awoke, lying in his bed, a slight sheen of sweat on him. Unbeknownst to him, as he unconsciously griped his personal knife under his pillow, red veins slowly began to glow onto the blade.
Author's note: This chapter was a joy to write, as it covers so much ground. The test of the Leman Russ Battle Tank, Gytha's plans, Clementia's appearance, and finally some foreshadowing as to why Adolf will become 'The Demon Lord of the Empire'. But onto some things.
-GJO1088's review: At your point about Clementia's appearance, well I've only played Valkyria Chronicles 1, because it came out on Steam and very recently the PS4. I've never played VC2 or VC3, and I haven't a copy of the art book. So I literally didn't know about Clementia Förster's exsistence.
-About Gytha's move to the military: often time, in feudal times, Princes often went to war to gain prestige to inherit the throne. Well, since Gytha is the 17th in line for the throne, she knows it's highly unlikely for her to become Empress. Thus she sought the next most powerful position she could be granted; a General or Field Marshall.
-About the other vehicles that will appear: Yes, the Leman Russ isn't going to be the only tank from 40k we shall see. That said, some vehicles will be different due to the technology limitations that the Imperial Alliance has. So there won't be lasers, nuclear weapons, or anything outside what can appear before the introduction of the artificial valkyur systems that make an appearance in at the end of VC1 and throughout VC2.
But we can replace some weapons easily; heavy bolters will instead be heavy machine guns, lascannons replaced with high-velocity anti-tank rifles, and a few other that I need to think on more. But prepare to see some classics from 40k, including the BANEBLADE! Who commands it will not be noted now, but it won't be Adolf, he will instead use a different super-heavy tank.
-About the Dark Sun King: His role was to show case Adolf's future power, and also develop the history of Europa. I decided to make the history of Europa be one mired by the passage of time, the influence of religion, and mistranslation. If you pay attention, you will see what I mean in this chapter, and dream sequences like this will follow certain events in Adolf's life.
That's is all for now, until next time, please read, follow, favorite, and review, and I will catch you guys next time.
