Chapter 14: Why we fight
Itami walked with Daniel and Arkanes inside the refugee camp.
"So you're saying this elf girl's village was attacked by the same fire-drake we fought?"
"Yes." Daniel said as they got to a table where they saw Raven sitting with Yanagida , Tuka, Rory, and the rest of Itami's team.
"You!"
"That's Itami?" Raven said nervously.
"Yeah, is there a problem?" Arkanes asked.
Raven nervously looked at Itami before he sighed.
"No."
Glaedr and Iondraet were also there, the two dragons speaking with each other.
"Are we going to kill it, this fire-drake!?"
"Easy there little one, a fire-drake is not something you just want to go trifling around. They're very big, very ferocious, and very dangerous." Iondraet said.
"So are we."
Iondraet gave an amused sound.
"You are still quite small little one, and still have a lot to learn."
"You're Itami?" Raven asked
"I am."
"I'm told you lead your soldiers against the fire-drake, and that you're a hero."
"…I've been labeled as such."
"Please, my village has been pushed to the edge of oblivion. If you won't help us, we're going to die." Raven pleaded.
Itami sighed and rubbed the back of his head.
"We barely survived that dragon the last time. Besides I thought Hazama forbid us from doing so?"
"Officially you've been given freedom to operate. If you went to say relieve possible refugees in this region that could be potential allies, I'm sure Hazama would accept this, and if you happened upon a fire-drake, well, you'd have to defend yourself." Yanagida said.
"They'd let us take anti-tank weapons?"
"I could see you were given 'proper' weapons to protect yourself from possible dangers in the region." Yanagida said.
"What's the plan then?" Itami asked.
"We go with Arkanes and Iondraet, we take the anti-tank weapons and teach Raven's warriors how to use them. With all of us using them we can bring down the dragon and use plastique explosives to finish it off. " Daniel said.
"I can't ask my team to do this." Itami said.
"We want to sir." One of Itami's corporals said.
"Captain, we joined the SDF to help people. We may not have gone to war like the U.S military, but we're ready to put our lives on the line to save others." Tomita said.
"What about your wife and son?"
Tomita gave a more serious look.
"What kind of soldier would I be if I refused to help people on the edge destruction."
"I am ready to do what is necessary." Shino said.
"As am I."Takeo said.
"I'm gonna bring back my new wife the head, best gift a knight like her could ask for." Jiraiya said.
"You're gonna need a medic." Mary said.
"I won't miss out on such death and destruction." Rory said.
"I'm going as well." Tuka said.
"What?! Tuka you're not a soldier." Itami said before he got an angry look and stood in front of Itami.
"I'm coming, I'm going to help kill that fucking fire-drake!"
Itami sweat dropped as he turned to Daniel who smiled.
"Don't look at me, I couldn't stop her if I tried."
Itami sighed. Thinking about what he did in the capital.
"What the hell. Let's go save her village."
Raven's eyes lit up as she nearly teared up, hugging Itami and Arkanes.
Yanagida smiled.
"As expected from the hero Itami."
Their vehicles were near the entrance to the base with Itami and Daniel looking at dozens of AT4 rocket launchers and gustaf rifles.
"Those AT4s are for the elves, easy to learn how to use, and one use only. The gustaf's are for us." Daniel said.
"Yanagida you're amazing." Itami said looking at the rockets.
Itami looked over and saw an SDF colonel, not realizing it was one of the colonels from the tavern the previous night.
"Sir." Itami said saluting.
"Captain Itami, this recon/rescue mission has been approved. But if by any case, you do run into trouble, air support has been authorized." The colonel said smiling as Itami smiled back.
"Yes sir." He said saluting.
Bozes stood with Jiraiya.
"Do you have to go?" She said sounding afraid.
"I can't let them do it alone, Lt Rian, Corpsmen Quinn, the others. You don't just fight for yer country darling. You do if for those beside you." Jiraiya said before kissing Bozes.
"Please, don't make our child fatherless."
"Daniel, I don't think I can fit inside these vehicles anymore."
"It's alright little one, we're going to be flying." Iondraet said.
"Flying." Daniel said in interest.
"Can he ride me!?"
"Not yet." Iondraet said as Tuka took a deep breath and got in, Daniel sitting beside her.
He took her hand as Tuka smiled a little.
Itami sat in the lead vehicles passenger seat beside Takeo as Raven saw the vehicles were full.
"Where do I sit?"
"I can carry two people." Iondraet said as she saw Arkanes on her back extending his hand. Raven took it and climbed onto Iondraet's saddle, putting her arms around Arkanes's waist and her head against his shoulder.
Iondraet roared as she kicked off the ground and flew above the convoy with Glaedr flying beside her.
Yanagida watched with the colonel.
"He truly is something special, isn't he Lieutenant?
"Yes he is sir."
Itami was about to fall asleep when he felt arms get wrapped around him.
"Itami…Your lust to finish what you started with the fire-drake is , exciting."
He sweat dropped.
"Well no I."
"I also heard you and Pina had an incident. Good, you belong to me." She said as Itami sighed thinking more about Pina.
In the Arnus town, Delilah was at the tavern cleaning dishes when she noticed a scroll had been placed on the counter.
"Huh?" She recognized the seal before her eyes widened reading it's contents.
"Queen Tyuule."
Inside the imperial capital , Pina stood in the senate chamber with Zorzal and Tyuule, who wore her scantily clad warrior bunny attire that covered her waist like panties did , arm covering over the forearms, a top with much of her chest showing.
They stood before the senate and Molt Augustus.
"They dare attack our crowned prince! In the royal palace!"
"We cannot let them push us around like this!"
"No please listen! Fighting them will just lead to another Arnus hill!" Zorzal shouted.
"For once I agree with the prince, fighting is futile."
"Princess Pina?" One asked.
Pina was silent.
"None of you have fought them." Zorzal said.
"In my experience, only the imperial army could defeat my warriors. I'm sure you could find a way." Tyuule said.
"Who let that half-breed in here!?"
Zorzal looked angrily at the senator.
"She's a queen, shut your fucking mouth!" Zorzal shouted as Tyuule noticed the way he defended her.
"Silence!" They heard as Molt stood up.
Molt and Pina saw a very tired/sad expression on their father's face that they had never seen him give before.
He held his face before sitting back down.
"My own son was nearly killed by them, in my own throne room, by their diplomatic security….There is no fight against them that can be won….. We must negotiate new terms, but peace must be achieved. It is our only choice."
Zorzal gave a relieved look, Tyuule looking disappointed.
Zorzal and Tyuule left with Pina.
"Well that went well. The war will hopefully still end Pina….Pina?" Zorzal said as he saw the look on her face.
"Are you ok?"
"Huh? Ohh I….I was just thinking about what happened to you….What Itami did."
"It's over, I'm past it and I was the one happened to." Zorzal joked.
"…..He almost killed you, after all he and I had been through….I, I."
Zorzal saw the look on her face.
"I think my little sister is in love."
"Zorzal!"
Tyuule held her stomach as she bent over slightly.
"Tyuule, are you ok?" He asked.
"Ohh my stomach hurts, it must have been something I ate."
"Come on, my physical will look at you in case you're sick."
Pina reached her chamber and saw down holding her face.
Just before Itami attacked Zorzal, Pina thought maybe, just maybe she had loved him….But now, after seeing him nearly kill her beloved brother. She didn't know what to think. She just wished so disparately that it never happened. Now she wondered if she even wanted to see him again.
Elsewhere , a physician looked at Tyuule.
"Ohh my." He said almost nervously.
"What's wrong?" Tyuule asked.
"…Well, I'm quite certain about this…..Your grace, Tyuule is pregnant."
Both of their mouths dropped as Tyuule shook.
"Pppppppregenant….I'm pregnant….. With Zorzal's child."
Zorzal tried to breath for a moment as the physician got out.
Tyuule shook as she saw Zorzal turn to her, wondering what he'd say, or do.
She was shocked as Zorzal hugged her tightly, planting a kiss on her lips.
"What? You're not upset?"
"Well, I'm certainly surprised, but I'm going to be a father. I can't be mad about that. But I suppose this means I should marry you.'
"Marry me!"
"I won't let my first child be a bastard. Even if they're not all human, they're my child. I'll love them all the same, and even make them my heir. Besides, I love you." Zorzal said hugging her.
"But your father?"
"He'll be mad about it at first, but he'll get over it. Besides, you're a queen, he can't be too mad."
A thousand things were rushing through Tyuule's mind. She began to think about how it all started, how she allowed her warriors to start taking human slaves from the borders of the empire. Giving them an excuse to invade. Zorzal had defeated her in battle and single combat, he had treated her well when she could have been his concubine, he defended her in front of others. Now he offered to marry her,making their child his heir. One day her child, their child would rule the empire.
Tyuule hugged Zorzal and gave him a long kiss.
"Yes, let's get married!"
Zorzal held Tyuule up before a horrified expression came across Tyuule's face.
"Oh no, the assassin!"
The convoy continued across the empire as Raven sat behind Arkanes.
Raven had never seen the world like this, soaring above it.
She saw the beauty of the land in way that amazed her.
"Beautiful isn't it, I remember my first time flying." Arkanes said.
"As do I, you vomited on me." Iondraet said as Raven laughed a little.
Arkanes and Iondraet noticing Glaedr laugh a little to.
"Well maybe if you hadn't quote 'taken me on the ride of my life'" Arkanes said.
"Where would the fun have been in that."
Raven heard Iondraet talk and took a deep breath.
"I've never seen a linked-dragon before you two."
"There are dark elves in our order."
"No one from our village I know became a rider."
"I suppose most of the elf villages both dark and regular aren't near the empire."
"The constant wars with humans over our forests and land would do that."
"Come on, we're not all that bad."
"I suppose not, you're all coming to save my people, putting your lives at risk for a stranger. Thank you, again."
"It's what we do." Arkanes said.
Arkanes noticed Raven had a somewhat pessimistic look on her face.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm just thinking about what their general said. Why he didn't want them to come…..Am I sending these good people to their deaths?"
"They're willing to help your people, that's their choice."
"I know but…Would my people do the same?….Would I do the same?" Raven said looking down.
"Let's not worry about that right now, doubt is poison in battle." Arkanes said.
They stopped near the edge of a forest on the borders of the empire, taking a break for the dragons to rest and eat, the two feasting on a deer they had killed while the others ate MREs. Raven looking at her food in confusion.
"Pour into water to heat? Really?"
"We don't have to." Arkanes said as he put some sticks together.
"Brisingr." He said a fire sparked on the wood.
"Ohh good idea." She said putting some wood together.
"Brisingr." Raven said as the wood ignited.
Daniel saw this and sighed, Tuka noticing this as he ate his MRE.
"Daniel, are you ok?"
"I've been practicing for weeks now and I still can't conjure any magic."
"It's not easy to conjure magic, even for elves. It takes a lot of practice and willpower."
"Well I have the willpower."
Tuka smiled a little.
"Why don't we try some."
Tuka held her hands out and closed her eyes
"Feon." She said as her hands glowed, Daniel noticing several flowers grow out of the ground.
"See if you can make them blow. Focus and believe that the wind will come."
Daniel took a deep breath.
He held his marked hand out and closed his eyes.
"Vindr." He said.
The flowers were still.
"Vindr." He said louder.
"Vindr!"
Daniel sighed as Tuka put her hands on his, smiling as she came up beside him.
"Come on, let's keep trying."
Daniel took a deep breath.
"Vindr." He said as Tuka held his hand.
He continued to practice for another few minutes before they noticed Itami was eating alone.
"Huh? Is Itami ok?"
"I don't know..Maybe we should take a break and talk to him." Daniel said as they went over beside him.
"Itami, are you ok?" Daniel asked as Itami sighed.
"I'm just thinking, and enjoying a moment away from Rory."
"How did you do that?" Daniel asked.
"I told her I saw some bandits on the way and that it was ok to kill them…..She sounded aroused…"
Tuka gave a freaked out look.
"She frightens me."
"I'm guessing you're thinking about Pina."
Itami lowered his head.
"Do you know what happened before the incident…..She found out I wrote Time-warriors, then she kissed me."
"She did!?" Tuka almost shouted.
"I thought it would have felt wrong. But the strange thing is…..It didn't, when she kissed me, I felt something I had never felt with any girl before. Not my ex-wife, not anyone…..Then, I attacked Zorzal….The way she looked at me, like she was looking at a monster." They noticed Itami have a single tear in his eye.
Daniel put his hand on Itami's shoulder.
"It's going to be alright."
"No….She'll never forgive me.."
"You don't know that."Tuka said.
"….I still haven't forgiven my mother."
Later that night, they made camp, Shino laying beside Mary as they stared at the stars.
"It's nice, just listening the sounds of nature, no bustling streets, police sirens." Mary said.
"I know what you mean." Shino said as she looked at the stars.
"…Do you know what you want to do…When you get out of the military?"
"Well, I had put some thought into it. I had planned on using the G.I bill to go to college, maybe become a doctor….Now, I almost want to stay here, learn more about this place, it's different people. It's just so amazing here, I couldn't imagine leaving…Plus's Panache." She said smiling a little.
"What about you?"
Shino had an unsure look on her face.
"I really don't know. This job is my life…..It's all I've ever been able to do…" Shino having an almost irritated look.
"People like Itami , so laid back and carefree, this is just to support his hobby, but he's a hero, a special forces."
"You're only a sergeant, there's still plenty you can do."
"…I suppose that's true."
Raven laid against Iondraet's stomach with Arkanes beside her.
"I imagine as a dragon rider you've seen plenty of fighting."
"Yes, I have."
"You must be quite the warrior by now."
"Only when I must."
"What do you mean?"
"WellI enjoy fighting worthy opponents when I have to, but I never enjoy looking for fights. Personally I'd rather read good book."
"He can be dreadfully dull at times."Iondraet said in a joking tone.
"What about you?"
"….My clan are a clan of warriors. We protect the our forest from those would would expand to it. Goblins, urges, arachnids…."
"And humans." Arkanes said as Raven got quite.
"….If you're defending you're home, it's your right, we're not going to stop helping you for it. We've killed plenty of bad humans, we don't exactly get along with each other."
"Not at all." Iondraet said.
"I kill because I must…It is my duty as a warrior….But I've never faced something like this drake, something impossible to fight….It makes me feel, helpless. Like I'm nothing." Arkanes put his hand on Raven's shoulder.
"Not anymore."
Daniel sat with Tuka and Glaedr as they looked at the stars.
"I almost never noticed how many there were. How many do you think thee are?" Glaedr asked.
"I've wondered that sometimes." Tuka said.
The two noticed Daniel still trying to use magic.
Tuka put her arms around his chest and nudged her head against his.
"Daniel it's ok if you don't get it. You have an eternity to do so." She said smiling before kissing his cheek.
Daniel took a deep breath before he looked over at Glaedr. As he did, he thought of something had hadn't thought of before.
"Glaedr." He said as the dragon tilted his head.
"What?"
Daniel closed his eyes and aimed his hand at the flowers Tuka made earlier.
He took a deep breath.
"Kuldr." He said , the mark on his hand glowing before he felt a sensation he hadn't felt since Glaedr hatched.
He saw in amazement as the center flower turned to solid gold.
He plucked it before Tuka saw this.
"You did it!"
Daniel smiled , handing the golden glower to Tuka.
Tuka smiled even more as she kissed Daniel.
Noriko sat en an enclosed outside area of the medical facility. Bandages were across her face and neck as she sat on a bench with a very depressed look on her face.
"My entire family is dead….Those guards , the things they did to me…..What is there left to live for." She said before hearing something.
"Hello?"Noriko asked before she saw a young bunny warrior woman wearing assassin attire with face paint and a dagger in hand.
"I'm terribly sorry, but you must die."Delilah said, Noriko closing her eyes and lowering her head.
Delilah came forward.
"What's going on!?" Yanagida shouted as he rushed in, seeing the assassin.
He quickly pulled out his pistol and aimed it at her.
"Drop your weapon and get on your knees!"
Delilah got into a more aggressive stance.
"I'm going to count to three!" Yanagida shouted before Delilah charged at him. Yanagida firing but Delilah evaded the gunfire with her agility.
Noriko looking afraid as Yanagida moved back, avoiding her slashes and summersaulting away from her kick before trying to block her strike with his forearm, but Delilah knocked him onto he ground before she tried to stab him.
Yanagida kicked her left leg , making her grunt before he snatched his gun and got onto his feet. Delilah screaming as she stabbed his side.
"Ghaaaa!" Yanagida shouted in pain as Delilah stabbed him.
"Lieutenant!" They heard as six SDF soldiers and three U.S soldiers ran in.
"You bitch!" Yanagida shouted as he emptied his magazine into Delilah , the bunny warrior's eyes widening as she felt the bullets hit her.
Both falling to the side as blood poured out.
"Medic!"
Author's note
So the team is off to help Raven's village
Yup Tyuule and Zorzal are gonna have a baby, after getting marries, needless to say Tyuule doesn't want to destroy the empire her kid will rule some day
But the attempt happened, what will be the result
So until next time,
Please review,comment,suggest, or ask(VIA PM)