Alright, I'm starting to finally get out of my writer's block. Hopefully permanently but, we'll see. Anyway, this is a chapter that i've managed to peice together for you all.
Also I got my first negative review! Every author has to have a negative review, and i'm truly honored that i made it this far! But in all seriousness, my story isn't for everyone, I get that. I wanted to do a very specific thing with my story and convey a very specific message, and if people don't like it then it's perfectly alright. As long as I write good, is all I really care about.
Guest (Why don't they just bomb them): Good Question!
...
...
...
Gunwolf.45 (I won't type it out, because it's a long one): I really wanted to make Mysterium like a strange and hostile environment to the soldiers fighting there. It'll make sense later on why the media is so anti-war. As for your concerns about this becoming like WW1 in which Carter wants the war to end by the 4th of July, that's the exact relation i wanted to connect. The government is trying to hurry up and win the war, not because they actually believe the Iscariot are bad but because of political reasons. Carter wants to win the midterms and if he got the nation into a war in a new world, it won't look good for him. Mirror face has his plans though, we'll see what happens in the future!
Guest (Those Huntsmen give me starship trooper vibes): They are actually based on the Antlions from Half-Life, lol. But I can see where you're coming from. Whatever floats your boat the most.
"…The intentions of Moscow are unknown, President Carter. All we know is that they too have their hands-on equipment to artificially generate a portal, and with that, they will try and gain access to the Special Region."
"How far along are they in development?"
"Not a single clue. They could be ahead of our researchers in ACRA or they could be far behind. Ever since the invasion of North Korea, they've made it clear to the international community that they were determined to gain access to the Special Region. When the DPRK came to its knees, I'm sure that the Russians were hoping the JSDF would let them through the GATE as a reward. To be honest, we were hoping the same."
"But the portal just so happened to open in Florida?"
"It may have been purposeful. If Gabriel is truly as omnipotent as he seems, he may have been able to predict what would've happened if the portal opened elsewhere. He may have opened the portal, to begin with."
"Right, would it be too much to ask him to open the portal once more, just to speed our research a little."
"We'd be messing with fire, Mr. President. Humans aren't meant to talk to supernatural beings. I've already given the order to our troops in Ithaca to keep an eye out. ACRA is nearing a break-through, Dr. Judith herself even confirmed that they would begin construction in New Mexico soon."
"Make sure it happens fast, this is a race against time. If they manage to open a portal to the Special Region, or Mysterium, it'd complicate things."
"Indeed…"
"YOU DID WHAT?"
"Wendover, listen-"
"You are madman for this, Perceval! You're playing right into NATO hands!"
"I did what I had to do to protect the party!"
"What's more important to you? The Party or the people!"
"The two are one and the same, Wendover! That's what our entire organization is built upon!"
Wendover put his hands on the top of his head, closing his eyes, trying to calm himself down. The amount of anger he felt against the grizzly bear in front of him, the seething rage. How could he be this foolish?
"So… you've sent Cathy on a mission to arm the people of Astchester, a bunch of poor peasants mind you, with Ithacan weapons?"
"Have you not seen the actions of Igraine and the Red Faction?" Perceval asked him, standing up from his seat, his paws on the table, "Igraine controls almost all the dragons in this country. If she wanted to launch a Coup and kill Nora, she could do so with EASE! I had to take the necessary steps in order to ensure that she'll back down!"
"You are a madman, Perceval, a bloody fool!" Said Wendover, pointing an accusatory finger at him, "NATO will take this as an opportunity to defeat us, they'll corrupt those people with the ideas of revolution! You're playing right into their hands, Perceval! Who's side are you on?"
"I'm trying to do everything I can to ensure that your beloved 'Queen' stays in power! Between Igraine and Nora, I've chosen my side! We are on our back legs, just because Nora is Queen now does not mean things have gotten any easier for us!"
Wendover fell back on his chair, looking at Perceval with a face that read 'you can't be serious'.
"Welcome to the world of Politics, Wendover. I don't like the Ithacans, but I know that they are our only hope if we wish to check Igraine."
Igraine was a trained dragon breeder, one of the best in Fargo. Wendover understood that. Fire and gas-breathing dragons are her specialty, and she had thousands of loyal flying reptilians at her disposal. Perceval was right in the fact that it wouldn't take her much effort to overthrow the Monarchy if she so wished, but the question for Wendover to answer wasn't if she could do it. Rather, would she do it? Was she really that hellbent on keeping her 'perfect society'?
"You are using Igraine as a boogeyman to gain more power, Perceval! And I don't like it!" Wendover stood up, shaking his head, "If the Queen finds out, she will be forced to hang us! All of us!"
Perceval shot him a look, "I know that, why do you think we made it secret?"
"If the secret gets out?"
"You aren't going to tell anyone, right?"
Wendover looked Perceval in the eye, "I don't know."
A cold silence filled the room, separating the wolf and the bear. Two polar opposites clambering for what seemed to be a mutual goal, yet fighting each other the whole way. Wendover and his love for his country, the flag, the culture. Perceval and his love for its people, liberty, and revolution. Two very similar and yet distinctly different minds clashing against each other, as they stared one another down in perpetual and dark silence. Trying to figure out who the other was, the person who used to be their friend. What happened to each other?
"You used to inspire your soldiers with rhetoric that they were fighting a noble and just crusade against the Falkish, to protect the Empire," said Perceval, raising a glass of spirits to his muzzle, "You knew you were fighting a suicide mission in the hills. You knew that the war was one being fought unjustly, with no reason. Sending men out to die for a sacrifice that was almost worthless."
Wendover looked down at the floor, unsure of what Perceval was trying to say.
"Where did that wolf go? Did you kill him? The wolf that managed to win the battle of Red Hill, after the green grass was painted red with the blood of men. Where did your passion go?"
"I don't know Perceval, I don't know…"
Wendover put on his brimmed cap, slowly walking towards the door. Before turning back just once…
"Whatever it is that you have planned, it better work."
Perceval was silent, thinking of what to say next. When the words came, he started out slowly, finding his words as he went along, "There are only three colors that matter to me, Wendover."
"Hm?"
"Red, black and blue. Red is the color of violence. It is the color of blood, it is the color of hatred and agony, violent revolution" Perceval said.
Wendover stood right where he was, listening, "Black is the color of death. It is the color of silence and uncertainty. A color that does not offer a guarantee of tomorrow."
"And finally, blue. Blue is the color of hope. It is the color of birth and new life. Heaven waiting for those who took the initiative to fight for what they believed was right," Perceval said, "Those are the colors of the world. They are changing, day by day. In a tug-of-war mix of geopolitics and passion. Those are the colors that matter, and the colors that I understand. We fight, we die, we win."
Wendover slowly twisted the doorknob and left, leaving Perceval alone, but not before he could hear him say, "Remember that there is only darkness ahead without violence! Without violence, there is no hope for a brighter tomorrow! Without red there is black, and with black, there is no blue!"
Red- The blood of angry men!
Black- the dark of ages past!
Red- A world about to dawn!
Black- The night that ends at last!
Wendover stood outside. The streets were empty. Barren of life. Quite unusual for Fargo, it wasn't even a holiday. Wendover seemed to be the only sign of life at all, save for a few pigeons and squirrels that ran to and from on the streets.
The sun was waning into the evening daylight hours, it was quite chilly but the sun shining on Wendovers grey fur was enough to keep him hot. The trees potted on the streetside were growing their leaves, green all around. A deep blue sky overhead, like a great shield over the Aria land.
A small phoenix landed on the tree. Bright red, almost glowing red in nature. Phoenixes didn't ignite unless threatened, and this one seemed to be pretty calm. It sat on the tree branch, whistling and chirping away. Wendover looked at the bright bird, taking in the beauty of it and the scene around him. Thinking about what he truly believed in, what he was...
It had troubled him to realize his two greatest friends, Ann and Perceval, were polar opposites. He seemed to be torn in half somewhere in the middle ground. Unsure of what he believed. Did he love his country, or did he love his people? Weren't they the same? Isn't one mutual with the other? Is his love real or is it artificial? Was it because he invested so much into the security and strength of the nation, that it would kill him to see it fall? Who was Wendover? The Great General that saved the Iscariot Empire from destruction by the Commonwealth. Every day that great wolf became more and more foreign to Wendover. That image fading away into obscurity, into a myth that could not be proven. Did he actually die in the hills?
Wendover couldn't understand why it was so difficult for him to choose when everyone else around him already had. Pick a side. Red or Blue. Black or White. It was just that simple. But why couldn't Wendover figure it out?
'Clop, clop, clop!
'Neiigh!'
Wendover could hear the sounds of a horse-coach being pulled down the street. The bird took off, disturbed now. Wendover turned to look at the team of horses coming down the road.
"Woah!" Said the coachman, as the horses stopped right in front of him.
"For me?" Wendover asked the coachman nodded. He noticed movement inside, and the door opened revealing none other than Professor Andrew Hyde.
Wendover sighed, "What do you want?"
"No time to explain, get in!"
"Why-"
"Just get in! Now!"
Wendover shrugged, walking over to him and climbing inside. Andrew shut the door behind him, and the carriage started to move again, "Nora is holding an emergency convention! Only reformists are allowed to gather."
"What? What for?" Wendover asked, leaning forward.
"She's pushing legislation, she doesn't want the Red Faction to try and block it so she's taking our ideas and signing them into law."
"I was just at Perceval's office, shouldn't we go get him-"
"No, no, no," the Weasel shook his head, "We don't want to present legislation that could rip this country apart. You know how Perceval is."
"Batshit insane?"
"He's well-meaning, but a bit too radical."
"You're telling me? He's arming the citizens of Astchester with Ithacan guns."
Andrew looked up at him, "Wait, what?"
"You don't know?"
"No! I was never informed of this! What the hell is he thinking?"
"Something about keeping Igraine in check, preventing her from launching a coup de tat."
Andrew seemed to think about it for a moment his brow furrowing, "I see," he said, pushing up his spectacles, "He's sent Cathy to handle it, didn't he?"
"Yes."
"Well, Cathy wouldn't do it if she didn't trust him. I just hope he understands the potential ramifications of this."
"He does. If the Queen finds out, each and every one of us will have our necks tied in a noose."
"Of course… We make sure that information doesn't make it to her."
Wendover nodded, he could see the Crystal Square and the Ball come into view. The Crystal Ball itself sparkling with vibrant colors under the evening sunlight. The Palace in the background lit a bright orange by the sun. The emergency council would be held there…