AN: Hello and welcome to the latest chapter. This one's longer because I added more background to the fantasy world of the Special Region and I kind of dragged on with it… But it is still decent. Hope you'll enjoy it. Answer to reviews at the end for this chapter. And yes, this title too, like many others, is taken from a song. Not necessarily because the song is relevant for the chapter but because the title fits great with (emphasizes) the chapter. Pink Floyd has nothing to do with the horrors to follow. Btw, not a lot of proof reading invested here. I just read every part after writing it. Enjoy it!
Chapter 29: On The Turning Away
'Entry XIV:
This world gives birth to despair, a despair most people don't even know they are experiencing.'
Special Region, northern side of the Romaria Mountains
D-Day + 51 days, 1630 hours
After one day since they were sent to retrieve the British lieutenant and explore more of the Special Region at the same time, RCT3 barely made it past the Romaria Mountains. The crossing of the mountain range was a gamble since the pass they chose could have proven unwelcoming to their vehicles. They were lucky, the pass was able to accommodate their cars, LAV and the Leopard 2 with ease, with no danger of the ground giving in under the tonnage and collapsing into a ravine or a landslide or avalanche of rocks blocking the road ahead.
What intrigued Itami was the fact that they found traces of an army. They all concluded that it must have been Titus' troops when they deployed on the front lines. They left behind many wooden boats or improvised rafts. They littered the banks of the Row stream. They still had to cross the Row before setting up camp. And they had no bridging equipment with them.
The eastern side was blocked by mountain cliffs. They went west and were lucky enough to find a wooden bridge. It looked solid enough for the small vehicles but the tank would crush it if it attempted to pass over it.
Itami's voice cracked on radio. "Alright, I think we can cross the Row here. Erwin, do you have by any chance what you need to cross the water by going straight through it? I doubt the bridge will hold under your weight."
"I think we can make it. Looks shallow enough in this area. Go ahead. Get on the other side of the bridge. Hussar Three will be with you shortly." Erwin replied.
"Alright, Erwin. LAV will go first and the rest will follow. One vehicle at a time. I don't want to risk it." Itami said. Slowly, they crossed the bridge, one at a time. They used the tank as an anchor and tied a rope to every vehicle when it passed. Should the bridge fail, the car would not be taken by the currents and the team could retrieve it with ease. Meanwhile, Erwin, Fritz and Franz were busy preparing the tank for a river crossing the hard way.
Once everyone but the tankers and their graceful machine found themselves on the other side of the Row, they disembarked their vehicles and started setting up camp for the night.
Inigo and Rory were wondering why it was taking Erwin so long to get to them. Inigo voiced their curiosity. "What are they doing over there?"
Tomita walked to them and answered the indigo-blue furred wolf man's question. "They are making sure the tank won't take water."
"Why don't they just use the damn bridge already? It bores me to wait for them…" Rory complained like a child.
"There is no such thing as time to get bored when you literally have nothing to do. There is only time to relax." Itami spoke from behind them. "The bridge would collapse under the tank's weight. They'll just get the old fashioned way across."
Inigo was contemplating. "Will they just go through the water? They'll drown …"
This earned him a few chuckles. Then, the tank's engine roared and propelled the 60 tons of German engineering forward. The gun was elevated at maximum. The tank slowly dived into the water and looked like the Row swallowed them whole if not for the cannon sticking out of the water and just a few centimeters of the turret top. Shortly, the tank emerged from the water and came to a halt in front of them.
"Amazing… you people have a lot to show off." Inigo said, his eyes locked on the soaked tank. Erwin popped out of the turret and gave a thumbs up to Itami.
"You're in for a lot of surprises, Wolfy." came from Rory.
"Alright. I want everyone to form a circle around me." Itami said. He pulled out a map of the Special Region. Most of it was drawn based on the maps acquired from Italica and Duran. The only more detailed part of the map was the area where the F-4s flew over on their way to look for the four British soldiers. They took their time to take aerial photos for future maps. The problem was that they were nowhere close to the mapped 'corridor'.
Soon, the whole of RCT3 was around Itami and the map. "So, we are here" he says and points on the map an area just south of Rondel and north of Italica "and up to the north is Rondel, the city of mages. We need to get here." and his finger slides towards northeast to a dot on the map with 'Fel'kren' written over it. "Problem is… how? We still have to cross the Northern Duma Mountains to the east and make our way to this road that's just north of Sadera and west of Telta. That road takes us directly to Fel'kren."
"That road is an important one and will be guarded by the Empire's troops. It is the link between the Imperial capital and the Mountain Range of Ice and Snow." Inigo informed everyone.
"I wouldn't spare troops for checkpoints on roads when I am losing a war." Jackson added.
Inigo shook his head. "The thing is that the Empire is in a status quo with the northerners. They have resisted every attempt of conquest from the Empire. As far as I know, a legion is always stationed in Telta and they are keeping an eye on everything around there. Not that the northern provinces would bother with an invasion... but the Empire isn't taking any chances."
"I doubt they'll catch us. We're faster than them. And we have what we need to make our way through if things go south." Erwin confidently assures them.
Pops leaned over the map and pointed a spot north of Sadera, on the northern side of the Row stream and immediately west of the Northern Duma Mountains. "This here… is what I am concerned about. According to the map and to aerial photos, that area is not the best place to pass through. Dense forests. We all know what happened to our guys in the 1st EAA not long ago in a similar terrain."
"Not to forget that the Seth Lake tribes call this entire huge forest their home. I would never go against them in their favorite terrain if I can possibly help it. The Empire is known to employ them from time to time. And when they are not lending their skills in some campaign… they'll just sit back and prey on unaware folk who happen to venture into their territory." Inigo added his expertise on the locals.
Silence fell. Everybody was contemplating on what to do. "What option do we have if not this one?" Rory asked.
"We can't take the easy road through the Empire's heartland. Would put us in a world of trouble with the mobilized Imperial armed forces." Itami said remembering the instructions from HQ.
"Another option would be taking the long road around. We can follow the road near the camp and reach Rondel, keep going up till Bellnahgo and then, here, take the eastern road that'll bring us around the northern side of Seth Lake and the forest. But that will add days to our journey. The shortest is to follow the Row, keep going along its northern bank until we reach the main road. But it takes us through a dangerous area."
"Inigo's right. If we want to get there as quickly as possible we will have to take a risk." Erwin spoke.
Itami looked up from the map to his team and then back at the map. He packed it slowly and stood up. Everybody knew what he would say. "We have no choice but to take a risk. We are soldiers after all and we are in an alien world. We take the fastest route. We'll stay as close as we possibly can to the Row, that way we only have to worry about our left flank." He stretches and takes his helmet off. His voice takes a lazy tone. "Now that we're done with this… let's eat something and get some rest."
Sadera, Imperial Palace
D-Day + 52 days
Emperor Molt Sol Augustus was sitting on his throne in the large throne room. His blue eyes were grasping the ever usual scenery: the palace guards were on either side of the room and at the door, retinue was going about and discussing the problems and were bringing them forth to Molt's attention. There were the servants too who were constantly bringing wine for the nobility inside.
Molt refused to drink when he was attending to the administrative, diplomatic and military problems of the Empire. But he liked to have a drink in his free time. He usually finished what a modern person would consider "working schedule" in the afternoon and take the rest of the day off. But the past few weeks were nothing short of …interesting for him, for lack of a better word.
The open doors allowed Adranos to walk into the throne room. Silence settled as he slowly made his way towards the emperor. He saluted every person he was acquainted with and came to a halt a few meters from the steps leading to the throne. He bowed before Molt.
"You requested to see me, Highness?" Adranos' voice resonated.
"Yes. Lord Adranos, I have a question for you." Molt said, resting on his right elbow on the throne's handle. "What do we know about our campaign against the invaders? General Tasius and Titus took it upon themselves to repel the enemy and defend the Empire."
Adranos knew that Molt heard about the recent developments. "Your Grace, it was an unsuccessful campaign. General Tasius was taken prisoner when he was leading his men in battle and General Titus suffered a defeat. They were outmatched by the enemy's power. Right now he is retreating back to the capital with his remaining forces. The 7th Legion Legacy of Godasen under Tasius' command was scattered. Many fell in battle and other were taken as prisoners. The rest are on their way to Sadera."
Molt kept a serious face, like always. "And why didn't you inform me about this up until this very moment? Why did I have to hear about it from Minister Marcus when you were the one who personally oversaw the information and supplies flux?"
"I have no excuse, my liege. I was so caught in organizing and redirecting every resource we had that I forgot to send word to you or anyone else for that matter. I am but an old soldier and I deemed it necessary to take care of the military matters first."
"So that Titus really blew it up, didn't he? So much for him…" a bald general said with a smirk on his face. It wasn't something new that many military leaders of the same faction had a rivalry going between them. Titus unwillingly made many rivals out of his fellow comrades because of his rapid ascension among the Imperial Army's ranks. Now that the role model was defeated for the first time, many saw this as an opportunity to reaffirm themselves.
"I wouldn't say that. He made his best and… pardon me, they did their best and held the enemy off for as long as they could. The enemy's magic was more powerful than we thought." Adranos fired back, not needing to let everyone know what truly happened between the enemy leader and his two friends and the princess.
"Now that I think of it, what happened to the mages? Were they of no use? Almost every battle mage we had in the capital was sent on the front lines." the same man asked.
"Very few survived. Too many died in the fighting and others fell into captivity. We can safely say that our battle mages were rendered ineffective with the very low numbers we're left with." Adranos said and looked at the emperor, not bothering to look again at the butthurt general.
Molt facepalmed. Something you don't see every day from a man like him. "Lord Adranos, this was a total waste of resources and lives on our Army's behalf." he said. He still remembered very well the letter he got from Pina a while ago after she returned from Japan with Bozes. He knew what his daughter was doing and had his suspicions about what actually transpired in the Duma Mountains. But he decided to play stupid. "What of my daughter? What do you know about Pina?"
"Nothing for sure but if the rumors are to be believed, then she is making her way back to the capital. My best guess is that she met Titus and are coming home with their troops." Adranos answered. 'Molt knows something…' he thought to himself.
"Very well…" Molt says and gets up on his feet. "Lord Adranos, I want to speak to you in private. Tomorrow. Come and have breakfast with me in the Palace. It is very important." and slowly walks down the stairs. "I'm done for today."
Adranos stays his ground. Molt passes by him and leaves the throne room with three of his personal bodyguards, the Praetorian Guard. Adranos sighs and leaves the throne room shortly after. Unlike many nobles with official positions in the Empire's leadership, he actually cared about his country and had things to take care of. Thus, he made his way towards the Army's administrative buildings within the capital.
Special Region, RCT3 location
D-Day + 52 days, midday
Itami's unit managed to get past the mountains and was now advancing along the northern bank of the Row stream. The monotone sound of engines filled the air. Everybody was keeping an eye on the their left side, towards the woods. Inigo told them what happened to many unaware people who wandered around these parts and it wasn't sitting easy with them.
Erwin's tank was leading the column. Hussar Three's turret kept traversing and scanning with every sensor the trees for signs of human presence. Katsumoto, the LAV's .50 cal gunner, kept the M2 Browning pointed towards the trees.
The only one who was relaxed was Rory. She could tell when danger was close and when not. And, for now, she felt like there was nothing to be afraid of. A shame the rest of RCT3 ignored her for most of the time. Rory decided to take a nap until things got interesting for her. Itami was too tense to tease him right now.
After what seemed an eternity to everybody, somebody broke the silence on radio. It was Erwin and he had bad news. "Guys, Hussar Three needs a drink soon. We can go 100 more kilometers. Should I get in touch with Alnus and request a supply drop? Heard they finally brought the first Kawasaki C-1."
"Wouldn't be a bad idea. Go ahead Erwin. There is a flat zone on the map somewhere 60 or 70 km ahead. It was mapped by one of the Phantoms." Itami said. "Request some food too. We're burning quicker through our rations."
"Roger." the German tank commander confirms and switches frequency. After a brief dialogue with Alnus Base, he comes with an answer. "We have a package incoming. ETA: 5 hours give or take. They want us to dispose of the empty canisters after we refill the vehicles."
"We'll refill with what we have in the Toyota HMV and take the fuel they drop us as reserve. I think we'll make it there in 2 or 3 hours." Itami says.
Inigo couldn't help but note on the speed they were moving at. "You guys can cover such a distance in such a short time?"
Kurata answered the wolf man who was sitting in the back seats with Kurokawa and Rory. "If we were on a road we could cover that distance in less than an hour, probably. But the terrain is difficult and we have to go slower."
"So, Inigo… what can we expect as we go up north?" Itami asks.
"Hmm… The northern province is more civilized than what you see south. They are mostly decent people and they don't practice slavery like the Empire does. As long as you don't get on their bad side you will have a good stay. The local lords are decent folk but there are some spoiled seeds too. Was a fine place to spend time until Hardy went crazy on the people there." he says.
"Hardy is such a pain… she's been asking me for years to marry her." Rory says with an annoyed teenager's voice.
"And what did you say?" Kurata asked.
"I am not going to waste the remaining 40 years on this world with her. I want someone more exciting who has everything…"
Itami could feel Rory's eyes fixed on the back of his skull. He cringed as a memory came forth with Rory talking to Tuka in the civilian district of Alnus a while back. Itami overheard some perverted discussions going on between the two. He never thought Tuka had a dirty mind. She always had the looks of a cheerful and innocent teenager. But she was 165 years old… She had plenty of time to learn everything, a thought that didn't run through Itami's mind up until now. 'Geez…' Itami thought as he sunk in his seat. 'At least Tuka has eyes for others.'
The Japanese lieutenant was loyal to Risa. They divorced but they stayed together. A paper testifying that they were married or not wasn't an obstacle in two people' love story. He remembered again Risa's words: "You better make it back home, Youji.". He rubbed his chin and noticed his bear was growing like crazy. He noted mentally to shave the next morning.
"We really have to be careful with Hardy's demons. She has servants very powerful. The most common are her winged demons and the corrupted souls who can be unleashed on the realm of the living and kill every living soul if they are commanded. I have no doubt we can deal with them. But they can overwhelm anyone when they come in high numbers. The ones we should be looking out for are the liches." Rory added to the information pool.
"Liches? Are they some sort of undead?" Kurata asked her. Kurokawa felt left behind, fantasy wasn't her domain at all.
"Yes. No regular man can take on such a creature. I've met them once in a labyrinth. It was a great adventure alongside that mage, Mimoza I think is her name. She's now teaching magic in the city of Rondel. The liches are capable of wielding magic and are dangerous. To you, at least. I can take them on pretty well. I can't die after all. Very intelligent for an undead monster. Keep your distance and do what you JSDF do best."
"Man, that's bad…" Kurata complains.
"You won't meet a lich unless you feel brave enough to explore some ancient underground places." Inigo said. This picked everyone's curiosity.
"Tell us more." Kurokawa jumped in.
The wolf man was taken back a bit by her sudden outburst for information. "Sure. From what I know, they are mostly found in old elven ruins or in some underground temple or tomb. In ancient times, magic was more widespread than today, especially among elves who can summon elemental magic and can benefit from the aid of elemental spirits.
Liches were initially thought to be souls of the living, elf or human, who were too greedy in their life or did something bad or just died with big regrets and had a predisposition for magic. When they died and their bodies decayed, they came back to life if powerful magic was used near them and would seek to hurt the living. Hardy adopted them as her more exceptional servants.
Any good mage can summon a lich. But most good mages don't take the path of necromancy and dark magic. The Empire outlawed such practices ages ago. And so did the other kingdoms of Elbe, Mudwan and the League Principality. Many necromancers have bounties on their heads as soon as word gets out about them. The Empire's battle mages have the power to summon a lich or far worse than them. But as I said, they are outlawed. Not even in the darkest hours should one be summoned, for it will turn on its master very soon after it kills anyone else."
"Wow… you know a lot. What other worse is there?" Itami asked.
"I know because I've seen one in my youth. For worse? Th-"
"Hold on a minute. You saw one?" Rory asked. "How did you survive, Wolfy?"
"I ran, just like any smart man would." Inigo replied.
"How did you come to meet a lich?" Itami inquired further.
"Ah, that was a long time ago. I think I was just past my 22nd winter when my group came across what was left of an ancient elven town. We were employed by a group of scholars to keep them safe from anything while they went ahead and explored the surroundings. They somehow managed to find the mythical city of Nya Entheas." Inigo started his story.
"Employed?" Kurokawa asked.
"Yes. I was a mercenary at first." he explained.
"So you were hired by King Duran in this war and at the battle at Alnus?" the combat medic continued her inquiry.
Inigo took offense to that. Kurokawa had no way of knowing and that was why she was asking but the way she asked offended him. "No. Well, I guess I have to tell you first how I came to meet the old Lion of Elbe. I was just an orphan child when I was taken by Duran. There I met others. He has a big heart, you know? I arrived in Elbe's capital with nothing hiding under some blankets, I sneaked into a caravan at night.
The old man taught me how to fight with a sword and a bow. When I came of age I was a decent swordsman. My archery could use some extra work but I got the job done. Then… me and the other kids who were raised by him almost like a father… we decided to go out into the world. See the world, adventure and what not. For a while we even worked as mercenaries.
Duran was sad when we left but he had faith in us. I have seen most of Falmart in 15 years of travels and adventures. I've seen a lot of things in my time. Not many nice things out there in the world, you know… Stick to the surface and you are good. Venture underground or into ruins and places that give you the chills and you tend to shorten your life."
Kurata whistled. "This place looks so serene to me." he said.
"Yep. I remember this one time when we went into the Arrun Labyrinth once. Not the best memories I've got with that place. Around every corner is something that wants to kill you. If it isn't a trap or some poisonous snake, then it is a minotaur with a thirst for human blood or a cockatrice. Lost one of our group there and we wisely decided to climb on the walls and make our way out of there. Did I forget to mention the zombies?
Now, back at how I met a lich. We were paid by some scholars who thought they found the ruins of Nya Entheas to escort them there and keep at bay whatever foul creature lurks around. Took us two days of walking through the forests before reaching the hidden ruins at the foot of the mountains, west of Toumaren. Way back in the southern parts of Falmart.
Even if the city was more than 10,000 years old… it was still beautiful. Covered in moss and with trees growing from among rubble… It gave it a nice aura. But then that gut instinct kicked in and we went into our vigilant mode. The smart asses decided to go ahead of us and open a magic door with a magic riddle. And then all hell broke loose. In less than a few minutes, a gods damn lich was woken from his sleep and immediately attacked the scholars.
No armor on them at all and only a dagger at best, they were slaughtered. Literally slaughtered. All that was left of them were bloodied clothes and spilled guts. We got its attention when we put two arrows in its back… and it only pissed him off more. We had no silver blades or magic skills to effectively kill it so we wisely decided to take our leave with the lich behind us in a wild chase. Never before did I think I could run as fast as that. Fortunately, the lich gave up the chase when we got out of the city's ruins and into the forest." Inigo told.
Rory chuckled while the three JSDF soldiers were silent. They didn't expect that much from this place. To their credit, they didn't explore Falmart to get to know it like Inigo does. And he wasn't done with the talking.
"But after we ventured here and there… we came back. Those of us who survived, that is. King Duran recognized us the moment we set foot in his throne room. Battered, dirty and hungry as we were, he laughed at us and welcomed us home. Since then, I'm his personal bodyguard with my pals. They stayed behind while I decided that one more adventure couldn't hurt. Well, me and Duran. He wants to ally Elbe with Japan and the other countries and thought that my idea of tagging along could help improve relations between us. But there hasn't been a bit of action since we left."
"I hope it stays that way." Itami said.
"Come on, where's your sense of adventure? The curiosity of the unknown…" Rory says to him as she leans forward and is just to his right ear.
Itami smiled. Not that he doesn't like adventuring, but he prefers to do it in the worlds of his favorite manga and novels. "I really want to get back home alive. And I don't want to lose anyone. Inigo, you said that there are worse. What else is out there?"
From the relaxed tone he used earlier to tell his story, the wolf man now stiffened and adopted a voice filled with some kind of fear. "Let's just say that some stones are better left unturned. The flame dragon is a foe you would choose anytime to fight instead of the horrors the dwarves have come across."
"The dwarves?"
"Yeah. You know, the little folk who prefer to live in their underground cities. There are those who live on the surface with the humans, elves and humanoids and there are those who live underground. Finest miners and builders in the world. And they sell their wares for a fine price too. Or they exchange a certain quantity for food. Elbe's wealth comes from mining. There are several dwarf cities in the Tybe Mountains, south of Alnus, and in the mountains near Toumaren. Duran came to an agreement with them to sell him the ores way cheaper and then Elbe sells it for higher prices. But we rely on our own mines with our miners.
Suffice to say that some older and ancient cities of the dwarves were overrun by goblins and orcs or they house horrors far beyond the mortal's strength. Some dug too greedy and too deep. Demons left here since the creation of the world were woken from their eternal sleep. I thank the gods every day that they can't get out of those underground prisons. Because if they do… we are truly lost."
Inigo's last words put the fear into everyone. Even Rory felt uneasy and that means something. Something really bad, strong and evil lurks deep beneath their feet.
"Makes you think of Tolkien's Middle Earth, doesn't it?" Kurokawa breaks the silence.
"Now that you mention it Mari-san, it really does." Kurata replies after thinking for two seconds about the similarities.
"Who is Tolkien and where is Middle Earth?" Rory asked.
"Tolkien was a writer and Middle Earth is a fictional place where his stories take place. Remind me to get you some of his books next time we're in Japan, Rory." Itami answers her. "I think you'll enjoy them."
Rory smiled for herself and flushed a little like a teenager. For a 961 year old demigoddess, she was very childish sometimes, another thing she had in common with the much younger Tuka. "Would you do that for me, Youji?"
"I don't see why not. Actually, I'll put an order for The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring and maybe it'll be at Alnus by the time we get there."
Itami turned around as he said his last words to catch a glimpse of her childish smile. He then noted to himself not to forget to forward a report about what Inigo told them. Command had to learn about this if they didn't know already.
Special Region, Mountain Range of Ice and Snow
Meanwhile
Far to the north, the two intrepid heroes were on their second day in their journey to reach Alnus. They left Fel'kren two days ago, the city they made comfortable in for at least two weeks. Time passed so quickly… Alistair felt like it was yesterday when he first got there with a deer on his back and Alia by his side.
He was left without a primary weapon after the fight with Hardy's apostle, Giselle. He only had his M1911 with three magazines, that means 21 rounds. They both decided to keep the pistol as a last resort tool or for hunting when they would run low on food. Better said, when she runs low on food. Alistair carried his blade on his back, he strapped it with a leather belt to his back and could easily draw it with his right hand.
His companion laughed at him when she first heard he would use the katana as his primary weapon and didn't believe that somehow he learned to wield it in his sleep from an ethereal entity who resides in his body. She went as far as to call him a lunatic to which he simply left her alone to calm down from the crazy laughing.
He didn't feel the cold anymore. He didn't feel hungry or thirsty. He only felt sleepy now and then. His military combat uniform was battered and had holes in it or cuts with blood stains. This only made him look more intimidating if nothing else. He looked like he was buried under a battlefield by a huge shell and rose up from the ground when the battle was over. There are many accounts of soldiers being literally buried under dirt by large explosions.
On their second day, after passing through ruined caravans and frozen bodies who fell victims to Hardy's demons in the opening onslaught, Alistair and Alia came across their first village. The wooden houses were abandoned. Doors left open, windows smashed, belongings thrown everywhere around. The snow covered most of the bodies and it was slowly turning the countryside into an impassible landscape. With nobody to clear the piling snow, the roads were proving difficult to use.
"Keep your eyes open. There are rogue demons left who haven't retreated back into Hardy's realm." Alistair said to which Alia nodded.
"Should we scavenge anything?" she asked.
"If you want to, then yes, go ahead. I'll cover you. Try to stay out of fights, girl."
Alia felt offended. "Excuse me? I am better than you with the sword."
"And I can take a beating you can't. We can't afford to take unnecessary risks that might end up with you injured in this frozen hell."
She didn't say anything else and went ahead into the first house. Alistair followed. The house was a mess – a kettle with what they guessed to be food was on the ground with the food frozen on the ground, spoons and plates and mugs were all around, the chairs and tables collected snow, bed sheets were on the ground.
"Must have been surprised by something. The broken glass suggests that someone forced its way in." Alia voiced her observations.
"Or something…"
"Yes. The broken door means that whatever demons came for the villagers had no trouble in reaching them."
"I didn't think it was this bad when you first told me about what happened here…" Alistair says with what Alia guessed to be sorrow in his voice.
"Only the towns have escaped this fate… and they will succumb to famine very soon. And probably riots…"
"If we get word to Alnus and tell them about this then they can feed your people. We have cargo planes capable of parachuting food and water for the affected towns."
"Are they similar to the two flying… planes who helped us at Fel'kren?" she asked and gestured with her hands through the air.
"Yes. The cargo planes are larger and can deliver more supplies. And, maybe, we could clear every single demon from these mountains and restore things to normal. But I doubt they'll send in troops. Who knows… there are many unknowns in the equations."
"What's an equation?"
"Ah… Mathematics. I doubt you'll like that bloody class."
"More weird terminologies from your world, Al."
"I know, I know. Can't help it. I don't know your equivalent words for them so I work with what I have."
After looking around, they didn't find anything useful. Alia sighed. "I should have known there isn't anything left here. And we have wasted time we could have spent covering more ground."
"Now don't be mad at ya. How long 'till the Sun goes down?" he asked.
"Not much… up here in the north the days tend to be short, as you've already seen."
"Then we better decide on what to do. If there is no decent shelter up ahead, then I suggest we spend the night here and leave at the first hour in the morning." Alistair suggested and received a nod from his friend. "Alright, I'll go and get some branches to start a fire. The wood from the chimney has too much snow on it to be of any real good and probably has ice formed in its cracks. You clear the chimney and see what else you find around here."
"Aye aye, captain!" Alia replied with sarcasm.
He left the house and made his way towards the trees. "Alright chap, let's see what you can do." he whispers to himself and draws the black katana with blue on its hilt. "So, if I remember from the few samurai movies I've seen…" and uses both hands to hold the blade and takes an offensive posture. He brings the blade up to cut the branches. Unknowingly, an instinct kicks in and, with just one powerful blow, cuts down a thicker branch.
"Bloody hell… guess I actually got it going somewhere in the back of my mind."
Alistair then cuts other thinner branches and drags them to the house. The Sun was, by now, far beyond on the other side of the mountain and was sinking into the horizon. He drops the branches by the door and goes inside. It was very dark inside the house.
"Alia, where the hell are you?" he asked. "Hey, gi- ACH!" and a sudden sharp pain in his back sends him on his knees. "What…" he turns around to see his companion knocked out cold on the floor, barely visible in the dim light and two men. One of them just stabbed him in the back.
"Fos dreh mu dreh voth mok?" (What do we do with him?) one asked by the tone of it.
A woman's voice came from the opposite side of the house. "Mu krii mok." (We kill him) and delivers a blow to his head. She was wearing steel greaves and it left a mark. Alistair realized that these were brigands most likely and the thought of them killing Alia, which is what he thought they did, filled him with rage.
"You bastards just got yourselves a one way ticket to hell!" he shouted and got on his feet. As he did so, he caught the woman by her leg and pulled her towards him. She didn't expect such a vigorous response from Alistair after taking a big hit to his face. He caught her by her neck and glared daggers into her eyes.
The woman struggled to release herself from his grip. He then threw her against the wall with all his force. The two didn't have any time to help their accomplice because it all happened so fast. Alistair turned his attention towards the men and spoke in a deep, bone chilling voice. "How can you kill something eternal?"
They got their swords out and rushed him. One went for a forward thrust while the other one went for a downwards slice. Alistair dodged to his right the thrust and caught the other one's hand in midair. His grip on his foe's wrist forced him to drop the sword and delivered a kick to his stomach which sent him out through the window. The sound of cracking ribs confirmed he was out of commission. The last one standing tried to push Alistair with his shoulder only to be knocked out with an uppercut.
Alistair walked outside and near the one he threw out of the window. He was struggling to breathe.
"I will take pity on you, bloody bastard." he says and draws his katana. The British towers over the poor brigand who chose the wrong people to kill and loot. With a swift motion, the black ebony-like blade pierced his heart. He then walked inside the house once more. Another kick to the knocked out fella to make sure he stays so for a little longer.
"So, you still got it going…" he says to the woman who was with them. His face was now burning in the same black fires as last time when he faced Giselle. He slowly regained his composure and his face returned to normal.
"Hokzii! Hokzii!" the woman kept saying, obviously in pain from the force she hit the wall with.
Alistair knelt half a meter in front of her. He closed his eyes and calmed himself down. 'I sense Alia's vital signs, they are good. So, she was only knocked out.' he thought to himself.
"Don't worry about your companion for she will be fine. But this one in front of you… She thinks you are a demon." the voice from his mind says.
'How can I argue with that? You turned me into one.'
"Did I? You accepted me to save your friend here. You were a monster before we met, you said that yourself. The monster who protects and builds towns, not the kind of those who smashes them. According to your own philosophy, you are a necessary evil. I only gave you the power to exercise your ideals and I can't argue when you want to go full out on those who deserve severe punishment for their actions. You will always be perceived as a demon when you use my power."
'Ah, damn you! Shut it already. You sound just like Alia.'
"She does have a point. But she is too good for her own good. Soldier, remember this – there is no greater evil than that of mortal races. Especially of humans. You people are capable of the greatest horrors and atrocities. You favor deceit and backstabbing."
'Are you for real, mate? What of the dragon and real monsters?'
"They are so by their nature. You always know what to expect from them. Hardy's demons are evil by their nature and exercise themselves at their mistress' orders. So are the ancient monsters of this world. You have seen very little and will see just a fraction of what is to come. From a beast or real demon it is to be expected to act that way. The dragon, for example, feeds. Humans, most of the time, lay waste to their own kin only for one's sole material gain."
'…We are living in a world of shame. Yet it is a beautiful world too. A world of shame and glory.'
"Well said. Remember what you said for it will forever be true. And back to matters at hand, you should keep your guard up. If you were vigilant you would have sensed the three brigands and their hostile intent long before they could ambush you or hurt your friend."
'A normal human can't feel things like that.'
"You are not normal. I'll be back later on. I advise you to tend to your companion and to the injured brigand before you. She is scared."
'Yeah, right. I forgot time passes slower when we talk.'
Alistair opened his eyes. The woman was still in front of him. Judging by how her eyes were scanning the surroundings, she was looking for a way out.
"You better make yourself comfortable 'cause you ain't going nowhere, sunshine." he told her.
She now spoke in the Empire's language. She had the same Nordic accent as Alia and Vigor and many of the people he met in this region. "To hell with you, demon!"
"I've been there. The Devil didn't want me and sent me back." Alistair said and smiled as he stuffed a piece of clothing into her mouth and restrained her.
The light was almost absent by now. He decided to light a fire. He brought in the branches and cleared them of snow. The pines were put aside and used to start the fire. He moved Alia closer to the chimney where the fire was burning and took her helmet off to examine her for wounds. No bleeding, no traumas, nothing.
The captive brigand was muttering something but was ignored by the lieutenant. He was still a member of the British Army. He died when fighting Giselle and could be considered KIA because his condition is very different to that of a normal living person. But the brass didn't know this so he was very much alive for them.
He used a rope he had in his bag to tie the other knocked out man and pin him in a corner where he was not going to cause any trouble. He even blindfolded him. After setting everything up, he turned his attention to the woman. He sat down near her, took off his black helmet and put it down.
"Now, before you start cursing me and all that smart ass thing, remember that I am a man with not a lot of patience and you are effectively at my mercy. Cooperate, answer my questions and you will get to live another day…" and brings out his combat knife. "Piss me off and I will enjoy gutting you like a fish. Frankly, the only reason you are alive right now is because of the Frost warrior you knocked out. Unlike me, she has a big soul."
"So…", he speaks and plays with the knife, his eyes locked on the sharp blade, "don't be stubborn, help me keep you alive until she wakes up and decides your fate. Otherwise…", and a wicked smile creeps on his face, "end like the other scum – dead. Hell, I might even take your guts out before I kill you. A curious thing, the human body will still be alive if you cut it in the abdomen and expose the insides. It will take you from a few seconds to a few minutes or hours to die with such a wound."
By now, her eyes grew and were reflecting the fire in the chimney. Alistair kept his smile. "What will it be?" and takes off the cloth from her mouth to let her speak. "Will you stay alive or die so soon?"
"What do you want?" she asks with half voice.
"I want to know how you ended up here and why you did what you just did. Bloody hell, I thought there was nobody left in the countryside."
"We used to come here often and look for anything useful. We could use everything we find." she answers.
"Aha. And what are the details you left out? It is obvious by a country mile you want to bullshit me."
"I am not lying!"
Alistair sighs and punches her in the right jaw. "No. Bullshitting."
The woman recovered from the punch, his gloves reinforced with steel knuckles were not gentle at all. "You damn bastard…"
"You are testing me patience." he warns her. "Where are the others? What were you after? Why did you attack us?"
"We took refuge in a cave inside the forest. The lucky ones who escaped sought refuge in towns or in the underground cities of the dwarves. The bearded midgets accepted them. But there are others, like us, who preferred the surface."
And he hits her for a second time. This time, she spat two bloody molars on the cold floor. "Where's the part when you brigands come in?"
The woman was tough, she could take a beating. Her eyes betrayed a terrible anger directed at Alistair. But, not being that foolish, she played along. She was at his mercy, after all.
"We saw you entering the village… And when you left for the tree line we came in. Your woman was too busy digging around to notice us creep on her knocked her out. She would have fetched us a fine purse of gold or an even larger bag of silver denarii on the Empire's slave market. You would have been too much trouble and wanted to kill you but you are something more than you let the eye meet. Yes, we are brigands… We followed you up until here…"
Alistair sighed and rubbed his temples. "You better pray to whatever gods you believe in that Alia doesn't let me deal with you because if she does I will hang you. You especially, woman."
Some moans let the two know that Alia just got up. She was rubbing the back of her head. Alistair immediately rushed to her and helped her up.
"You good, girl?"
"Will you ever stop calling me a girl?" she says with a soft voice.
"Yep, you good. Now, meet our friend here, Miss Brigand!" Alistair introduces the restrained woman to Alia.
"Brigand? This clears things… Why is blood coming out of her mouth?" she asked and turned at Alistair with a look saying 'What did you do?'
He acknowledged what her eyes said. "What!? She's a bloody brigand. I was more than entitled to kill her right when I had the chance but I kept her alive so you can decide what punishment is the most appropriate. Bloody buggers even stabbed me. Now that I think of it, can you pull this dagger out of my back? I can't reach it and it's pissing me off big time."
Alia saw the dagger and was shocked to learn he had it stuck in his back for a while now. "How… what!? Al…" she mumbled.
"Come on girl, just pull it out already."
She slowly put her fingers around the dagger's hilt and pulled it out. In the light produced by the fire she saw a black patch seal itself up immediately where a terrible wound should have been. She gasped, not believing her eyes and took a few steps back.
"Al… what are you?" she asked.
Alistair felt knots in his throat thinking of a response. He barely found the strength to reply, many thoughts and past dialogues going through his mind. "I don't know, girl… I'm a monster, a demon…"
"Damn right you are…" the woman spat with hate.
"So, what do you want to do with these two? They wanted to kill me and sell you on the Empire's slave market."
"They what!?" Alia shouts in anger. She never approved of this practice. Most of those who lived in the northern province expressed disgrace at such a practice. But others, such as the less moral brigands, found a steady source of income in kidnapping women and selling them into slavery. And nobody asked anything if the woman had a history with the blade and armor, being considered some sort of combatant who fell prisoner.
"If you leave me to deal with her and her KO-ed friend… well… let's just say that you know what I think of such scum." Alistair reminded her.
Alia took a few moments to contemplate. Her blue hair was in disarray. She took her feminine stance, hands on her hips. She exchanged glances with Alistair in the fire's light. The British man simply nodded before turning around and sitting on a chair. Alia reached for her blade and drew it out. With a metallic sound, she announced their sealed fates.
"Are you sure, girl? This is not like you."
"They have committed high treason against the people, crimes which cannot beg redemption. Banditry is punished by death. Bandits are on the death row. And I bet all I have that they have been doing this for a while now, judging by their gear. Not everyone can afford steel armor. It is pretty expensive, after all."
"Get done with it already…" the woman said.
"You lawless bastards take lives as you desire and when it suits your selfish desires… You kill for sport and for pleasure. As a warrior of the Frost Guard, the highest order of warriors of the northern people, by the authority and trust invested in me as a member of the Frost, and according to our laws, I sentence you to die."
"Thought you would never shut up… Mercy you say, big guy? She got no mercy."
"If I was to take your life you would beg for her to put you out of your misery." Alistair fired at her. He then grabbed her by her chest plate and takes her outside. He throws her in the snow and leaves her standing there. Alia follows them outside. Alistair takes his pistol out and hands it to Alia.
"Use this if you want to give her a clean death. You know how to operate an M1911. Don't use more than a bullet. In the head."
"Uhm… thanks… I guess."
Alistair proceeds to bring the brigand woman back on her feet. "Stand still if you don't want to suffer, scum."
Alia connects the gun's muzzle with the brigand's forehead. After a moment of hesitation and contemplation, she mutters something in her native tongue. The sentenced woman's eyes are closed, waiting for the end. She seems eerily resigned to her fate.
"Aal rah lost aaz voknau hin sil." and pulls the trigger. Brain and skull fragments splatter the snow red and she falls down. Alia looks at her right hand in which she's holding the pistol. Alistair takes the gun from her hand and pats her on the shoulder.
"She deserved it. Don't linger on it. You did what was right, even you know that. You upheld the laws of your people."
"I know… but it still feels wrong."
"It always will. Go inside and rest. I'll clean the mess."
"Th-Thanks."
Alistair watches her walk inside. He drags the corpse of the woman of the man he stabbed in the heart closer to the forest where he digs two simple graves in the snow and throws them in there. After covering them with a layer of snow, he digs a third grave for the bandit that is still inside. He gets back on his feet and walks inside.
He found him already dead, mortal wound to the heart. 'Alia…'
He took him outside and buried him too before going to sleep. The man asks himself what he's become to do things like that. 'I just hope that when I return home they will sentence me to death.'
Sadera, Imperial Palace
D-Day + 53 days, morning
Molt was sitting at a small table in his private quarters within the palace. His servants brought him his breakfast and was joined by Adranos as he requested yesterday. The old man bowed and took a seat on the opposite side of the table.
"Lord Adranos, I'm glad you could join me.' Molt says.
"Couldn't disobey the emperor's command, could I, Highness?"
"You could have. Please, eat. I asked for food for two. It's my usual breakfast." Molt invited him to eat together.
"Thank you, Your Grace. What is it that you wanted to discuss with me today?" Adranos asks as the two start eating.
"Let's drop the formalities, Adranos. We know each other for too long to keep this going in private. You were just an aspiring centurion when I turned 10. What do you know about Pina?"
"That she is on her way here most likely."
"Tell me truth. I received a letter from Italica. Sent by Pina herself. Surely you know better than that."
"What letter? How old? What does it say? No letter from the Princess has reached me."
"You tell first. It's very important to me. It's about my daughter, Adranos…" the emperor says with a trace of worry in his voice.
"She'll return to Sadera with General Titus."
"I can extort you of the information I desire…"
"I thought we were informal here."
"Right… Pina visited the country beyond the gate. And she told me about wonders beyond our imagination. She simply praised our invaders. And she said that we need to make peace with them before time runs out."
"Alright… the truth is that General Titus simply surrendered to the enemy commander when he realized the battle was lost. Tasius was taken prisoner but he is not treated like a prisoner at all. All our people are treated well. Princess Pina was there and met with the two. Tasius will act as prisoner for a while. Titus and your daughter will be in the capital in due time…"
"Pina wants to be the mediator between the Empire and the enemy."
"What are your thoughts, Emperor?"
Molt raised an eyebrow when Adranos addressed him by his title. "I certainly screwed this up, didn't I? I wanted to expand the Empire's influence and I stirred up a hornet's nest. For now, we should focus on what is best for the Empire. I am still not convinced by this situation.
Pina may harbor positive feelings and opinions about the enemy but she is my daughter and, as any parents, I care about my child. If the Senate finds out what quest she embarked on, she could be branded a traitor and I have little in the way of saving her.
If I go against the Senate I will start a political war in the Empire's leadership. That I do not wish… Adranos, I will let her and the two generals play this game. Take great care with your actions.
And if I know one thing for sure about Pina is that she never backs from something she wants to achieve. Not that I approve of her actions. I don't want to see the enemy set foot in my capital. Ever!"
"Let there be peace between the two sides. Concerning news have reached my ears. News from the Mountain Range of Ice and Snow. If the rumors are true, Hardy unleashed her fury on the province."
"What?"
"We're living interesting times…"
"So we might subdue the northern province after all these years…" Molt laughs.
Adranos doesn't like the Emperor's belligerence. He can be a smart man and understanding, but he is still the leader of an hegemonic state at heart. He decides to take his leave now that they have finished eating and are done with the serious things.
"Your Grace, if there isn't anything else…"
"No, Lord Adranos. Thank you for joining me this morning and sharing the information."
Alnus Base, Hazama's office
Meanwhile
General Hazama was going over the recent orders he received from Japan. Yanagida was in front of him, going over the same orders he had to dispatch.
"General, let me get this straight. NATO and Japan want the bodies of dead mages to experiment on them? And one or two prisoner mages?"
"That is right. We can't ignore the threat they pose. We've lost just over 1,000 men in the battle and the mages have their fair share of kills. Were it not for them, we could have breached through the Dumas much faster. We must gather information as soon as possible and come with countermeasures." Hazama stated.
"I could ask Master Cato to shed some light on this topic, if you want me to, sir. He's here at Alnus, in the civilian district."
"Do so, Yanagida. Any news from RCT3?" Hazama asked.
"They reported this morning. Apparently, they have refueled and replenished their supplies. They have cleared the difficult terrain and are headed into the northern plains where they will pick up the pace. And Lt Itami sent a special report regarding more dangerous animals and magic entities found in the Special Region. If this is true… then it means bad news."
"I want a copy of that on my desk ASAP! Did
they make contact with the natives?"
"Not a lot of villages on the route they chose. The two fishing villages in which they stopped have their separate reports which will be on your desk immediately as they are processed, sir."
"Thank you, Lt. Send the orders to General Dietrich. And make sure to keep it as low as possible. Nobody needs to know we're smuggling corpses and prisoners through the gate for experiments and who knows what else. Discretion is of the essence. The last thing we need on our hands right now is the U.N. attacking us with this and losing popularity with the population more than we already did. Losing so many soldiers in such a short span of time against an inferior enemy took a heavy toll on the public opinion. Hell, the observers sent by the U.N. are praying to catch us with anything they can use against us."
"Yes, sir. I'll get to it."
AN: I still think I could have done WAY better and you surely agree with me… but hey, there goes the political part. The next chapter will focus on RCT3's journey and then we go full politics, diplomacy, Zorzal asshole and all the great stuff most of you are waiting for. Please leave your thoughts on this chapter.
Faust1812: Thank you very much for your advice, Faust. I should say that I am very new to writing and, too often, i don't consider everything that is involved or everything that has ramifications from my actions. I will remember your review and will implement some of the observations you made in the future chapters. I thought of creating another smaller but important story line based on the feedback from Earth's population. I initially wanted to do so with some special forces trying to kidnap the SR visitors and info getting leaked but i decided otherwise, thinking i might screw this up. But i think i can get it done from this point of the story on. And yes... i might have exaggerated with the numbers. I put the Earth troops in a Vietnam-like scenario - in heavy and unfavorable terrain for offensive operations. Thank you again for your review, really appreciated. Your latest chapter gave me a couple ideas too but it would be unfair of me to kind of import that from yours to mine. I will do my best to keep it as original as I can and will have the scientists and military figures look into countermeasures against magic. Fair thing is that many mages died in the fighting, few of them left to inflict large losses to our guys. I might have to write longer chapters than usual for the diplomacy part to be able to move on and start concluding my story.
Arimane503: Don't worry about that part. I've thought that one out. Gave it time to think about it and I think I got it right :D thanks for your opinion and support. I won't throw advanced tech into the SR. No. More like regular household things such as scissors or things like that as a start. But not cars, microwaves, electric things and the sort. And certainly not weapons. It would be the equivalent of the Inquisition with guns and more nut cases.
Newbie: I must confess, how you described Alistair really made me laugh. Worry not, his storyline is pretty much figured out :p the story isn't called 'A World of Shame & Glory' for nothing. As for Zorzal, we'll see more of him pretty soon.
