The Fight we Chose

by DFMRCV

"No one starts a war—or rather, no one in his senses ought to do so—without first being clear in his mind what he intends to achieve by that war and how he intends to conduct it."- Harold G. Moore

8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Heartache

---

April 21st, 1964

Itálica

11:00 AM

Persia sighed longingly as she finished washing the plates.

Mamina said, "Still worried about him?"

The catgirl only said "I desperately hope he gets back... I'm very curious about that other world and... I truly believe there's a better life over there!"

So, less worried about him and more worried about whether or not you can use him to escape this world...

Delilah exited the bath behind them, steam filling the washroom, as she wrapped a towel around her figure.

Stretching as she said "More tolerance does not automatically mean life is better. We have it safe and fine here, Persia."

"Is it wrong to want more out of life?"

"Of course not, but you have it very good here compared to... others..." she mumbled the last part, letting the word linger as a reminder of what "normal" was in their world.

"I know, I don't mean to sound selfish... I do like it here, it's just..."

She dumped a plate into the washer and quickly said "I have no family here, and as much as I appreciate all your company... I want to try and..."

Delilah sighed, loudly, saying "Ugh, don't get started with the waterworks, we're not judging you! We're just a bit worried is all."

Persia's ears lowered on their own.

"I suppose it would be rather selfish of me to ask someone to get a letter to him..."

"Indeed, it would be." Delilah sighed.

Mamina said, "Couldn't you just ask one of the soldiers if they can radio them?"

The catgirl slowly shook her head, saying "They're under some sort of radio silence rule with people not directly involved in the mission."

"Can't blame them. Even if the Haryo tribe is on their side, I wouldn't trust them."

"Don't you mean our side?"

The maids turned to look at the voice that belonged to the intruder.

"Y-you-?! What are you doing here?!" Delilah demanded, tightening her grip on her towel.

"My job."

Trent didn't really seem to care about the maid's predicament (though exactly where his eyes were looking was hard to discern due to the aviators), coolly closing the door behind him as he began to explain.

"The Haryo tribe... I'm curious as to what you know about them."

Mamina, ever the professional, said "Other than rumors, nothing."

Trent's eyebrows appeared to frown behind his aviators, saying "Well isn't that interesting?"

Delilah quickly said "Why would it be interesting? Secret organizations aren't a thing in your world?!"

Trent shook his head, moving over and looking at the washed dishes, saying "No, no, they are... hell, my Central Intelligence Agency doesn't sound all that different... just complicates things going forward. Knowledge is power in an ever-changing world and we don't like being ignorant in certain subjects."

Silence.

Grabbing a recently clean plate, Kane said, "Spotless, nice job."

Persia nodded slowly, half bowing as she was unsure what to do. The maids could understand the American soldiers. They were soldiers, following orders.

They did not understand someone like Trent.

The man, and who he worked for, appeared almost like extortionists, about to hurt them, capable, and willing if ordered... but hadn't. Yet, unlike some of the other men from another world that they had seen, this benevolence did not appear to come from some sense of right and wrong, but cold efficiency, the complete opposite of the Empire, where might made right.

Trent then said "We know some of the maids here double as spies and assassins. I take it Persia isn't exactly a thornless flower, either."

The way he spoke put the girls on high alert.

"What are you getting at, American?" Delilah asked in a dangerous tone, her ears lowering in suspicion.

Trent quickly raised his hands in surrender, saying "I just want to know if you girls would be alright with an official partnership with the-?"

"Why ask? Are you not going to twist our arms anyway if we don't?"

The CIA agent grinned.

"I suppose we might if it's absolutely vital, but in actuality, we find people who are working with us voluntarily to be far more efficient than those who are forced into it."

"Oh? Why would you even need us?"

"Operations going forward. Peacekeeping, securing our interests, which are, in the end, the better interests... but also..."

He reached into his pocket and placed a black and white photograph on the nearby table.

Mamina picked it up, noticing that it was the photograph of a pale man, clearly from the other world given his clothes.

"Another mission to kill someone?" she asked.

Trent chortled.

"If only it were so simple..."

"I don't understand."

He pointed to the photo and said "That right there is a communist spy for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics... our enemies back home."

"W-what?" Delilah asked.

She had heard some soldiers briefly talking about these "communists" as they passed through, usually, in derogatory terms, she didn't entirely understand, but did paint a picture of some malevolent enemy beyond the gate and beyond the lands controlled by the Americans. She wasn't sure what to make of it, if they were an evil empire just like the ones the Americans were fighting, or if that was just propaganda the Americans fed their soldiers, or if it was something else entirely.

All she knew for certain was that the Americans didn't seem to like them.

Trent said, "Thankfully, this one has stayed entirely within the main base at Alnus."

Mamina spoke then.

"If you know he's an enemy spy, why not just capture him yourself?"

"We plan to... but we also know that they plan to get bolder once things settle down."

Mamina put two and two together then.

"Then eventually these... more of these enemy spies will arrive and move out into the lands beyond Alnus and... and that's why you need us?"

Trent sighed, saying "Effectively, yes. This one came disguised as a reporter and it took some digging on our end to find out who he was... but soldiers coming through, officers, military personnel... not as scrutinized as they go through given how many we're working with. So, for all we know, there are already several spies through."

"But you don't know."

"And that's why we're coming to you. In case we find out and need to resolve things quietly on this side. That way people like me can focus on bigger issues, like this Haryo Tribe."

"I see." came the simply worded response.

"So... interested?"

"Our loyalty is to House Formal, so we cannot agree at this time. But if ordered by Kaine or Lady Formal, then we shall work with you, same as earlier." Mamina said sternly.

Trent waved his hand, saying "Right, right... that's all I need. Thanks."

With that, he took the photograph and left the washroom.

Delilah muttered "What a strange man... walked in here like he didn't care."

"Oh, did you care, Delilah?"

"No!"

Persia took a step back, moving away from the bunny girls, her mind moving to the young man who had shown interest in her.

I wonder what he's doing now...

Imperial Capital

"So... what's in this meat?" James Hastings asked, staring at the "hamburger".

"I told you, whatever they gave us. For all I know, your great grandmother is probably stuffed somewhere in here." Alex half sighed, half groaned, both annoyed with the food supply as well as the dumb yet perfectly legitimate question.

It was a simple bun and patty with some cheese he had heated alongside some of the vegetables they had also brought along.

The Americans wouldn't trust local food from the markets for a variety of reasons, siding with the detestable, but safe, MCI over the local but riskier local Cuisine. Industry and food and safety regulations made certain problems go extinct, and if the local population in the Red-Light District was anything to go by, those problems were very real and very present in this medieval world.

Still...

Wish they weren't talking so loud... then again, for all I know, she can still hear them.

Tyuule was smelling the "hamburger" with a bizarre expression on her face, less disinterested, more curious at the different textures.

Dennis swallowed, saying "Not the best, but it tastes pretty good compared to what we have back at the palace."

Tyuule glanced over to the corner of the building where the little girl that had cheerfully sat on her lap was now just as cheerfully sitting on the soldier Dennis referred to as "Sean", chowing down on the "hamburger" without a second thought.

"Do you often eat these?"

"Bread with beef and vegetables? Yeah. There are some... incredible choices of food back home. Wish we could bring some to show you. Army rations aren't... the best."

Ingredients aren't the same here, either...

She didn't reply, eyeing the strange but familiar food.

"You tried to replicate these that day."

"Yeah."

"It was passable."

She spoke with a crooked smile on her face.

"Well, try this one then. Not the real thing, but I'd say it's good."

She took the first bite.

It was quite good. There were some condiments added into it that she had never tasted before, and she would be hard press to deny it was tasty. Though it also wasn't the best meal she'd ever tasted.

"It's... it's quite good." she said slowly.

Alex called "Bon Appetite!"

"Hmm?"

"Uh... I think that's French for... enjoy your meal?"

Sean called "It's just a thing you say to someone who's about to eat."

Dennis frowned, calling back "You're not teaching Charlotte French, are you?"

"Even if I could, why would I?"

"French?"Tyuule and the little girl asked.

"An awful language from back home."

"Awful?" Sean and Tyuule asked, Charlotte supporting the question by raising her ears while she continued chewing.

Dennis said "Have you guys tried to learn it? It's awful! The pronunciations, the spelling... wasn't a good time for me."

"You learned this language but couldn't learn that language?" Tyuule asked.

"Correct."

"Oh... interesting."

"It's not that hard to learn. Probably had a bad teacher."

"Yeah, I had a bad teacher... Miss Monroe was the worst... she'd smack us with a ruler when we messed up a word. You can't not mess up French words, their spelling and their pronunciation are entirely different! It's worse than Italian!"

"Italian?" Tyuule asked.

"It's similar to the Imperial language."

"Ruler?" Charlotte inquired then.

"A wooden stick used to hurt little kids if they misbehaved... also to measure things."

Charlotte's eyes widened at the definition but Sean only patted her head, saying "Don't worry about it. Papa is just being a little silly."

Dennis huffed, biting back down on his hamburger.

"Papa?" Tyuule asked, her crooked smile manifesting yet again.

Dennis only said "Not at all. We're all more or less keeping an eye on her. Sean's just trying to get on my nerves."

"Well, what's wrong with fathering a demi-human?"

"Nothing! I'm just... not her father, so it doesn't feel proper is all."

Her smile softened slightly.

These men really are just naïve children...

Still smiling, she went back to bite into her meal, saying "I'm sure you'd make a fine father someday, Orville."

"Yeah, I'm sure you'd make a fine mother."

"Don't push it."

"Of course, honey."

She jabbed a finger into his cheek, tightly shutting her own eyes.

Hastings was staring at them with a look of bewilderment.

So, what happened to all his talk of anti-miscegenation laws?

He partly wanted to ask, given how obviously the younger of the Rangers was smitten by the white-haired bunny girl.

Granted, he couldn't entirely blame the kid, as the girl was certainly beautiful in her own way, her face was youthful and she appeared almost meek when her ears were laid back like that, and that was ignoring her shapely figure. However, her crimson eyes easily instilled a level of caution within the mind of the Ranger. She was someone he could easily see seducing the leader of a nation all while making the man believe he was the one doing the seducing. A sort of "silk hiding steel" situation, where the girl appears meek and harmless... but very much isn't.

"She kind of reminds me of Doña Bárbara..." Sean mumbled all of a sudden.

Hastings turned to him, confused.

Sean said, "Venezuelan Author wrote this novel about a woman who... um..."

Sean was looking behind him, noticing the white-haired girl was staring at them from across the street. He hadn't spoken loud enough to be heard, had he?

Given that Dennis was also staring at him, that assertion was proven wrong.

"Doña Bárbara, Sean?" he asked simply.

Sean nervously looked at the girl, then back at Dennis, then at Hastings, and briefly, at the girl Dennis had named Charlotte who grabbed his cheeks as if to keep his head from spinning.

"It's a novel from Venezuela, I think. Read it at my university before I enlisted. It's uh... a romance novel." he half lied, quickly avoiding the subject.

At that, Tyuule only turned away, as if to drop the subject before it suggested more about her than anyone else, but Dennis eyed him with suspicion.

"It's a good read, don't judge me."

Dennis then turned away, not saying anything.

Taking the reins of the conversation, Hastings asked "So... you were a... warrior... ma'am?"

He concluded in English, his grasp on the strange Latin not entirely solid, yet.

Tyuule looked at him, her crimson eyes intimidating him more than he'd care to admit despite a lack of malice.

She replied in slow English.

"I suppose that's one way to describe my people."

"So... you know how to sword-fight, right?" he asked, again in English.

The girl seemed to understand, somewhat well.

"Depends, I suppose. My people used... knives... and heavy swords or other weapons of the like."

Hastings asked, "Wait, there's a difference?"

She nodded, switching to the quasi–Latin as she spoke faster.

"The blades my people used had limited utility compared to the short swords of the Empire... they're shorter, allow for more dexterity, and can be used in tangent with a shield... father did teach me the importance of striking the enemy down in one strike with whatever weapon was available, but I remember he specified that it was difficult against the imperial army."

She lifted her left hand and pretended to hold a short sword in her right.

"With the shield and sword combination, they could manage formations my people couldn't defend and attack with greater ease... even if my warriors were faster and arguably stronger, their shield formations and use of monsters made them an unstoppable foe."

Hastings nodded, not noticing that Dennis had a growing look of concern as he more or less translated the girl's monologue.

It didn't stop him from asking, though.

"Oh, so that's why your people surrendered?"

Tyuule's breath caught and she fell silent at the painful memories the question roused in her.

She turned, glancing at Dennis.

The young American's eyes were wide as if he didn't know what to say or do given what Hastings had just accidentally done. It would be like asking the 18-year-old about his dead mother, as it would stab directly into something deeply personal and hard to talk about for him, but something he would still talk about just for appearance's sake.

As if on cue, choosing to immediately hide her inner turmoil, Tyuule forced a laugh and said "Yes, so... that's the difference!"

It didn't fool anyone.

Hasting's swallowed, realizing he had accidentally prodded deeper than he'd intended given the brief crack in the girl's voice as she said that final word.

So, pretending he understood a word of what she had said, he quickly said "Ah, I see! Well, that's... informative! I'm going to go... patrol... this wall... over there."

With a quick about-face, he walked in the opposite direction, chowing down his burger and moving away from the headquarters.

Dennis rubbed the back of his head, and awkwardly said "Well, you got Hastings to shut up... that's an achievement if I ever saw one."

Sean backed him up, both to not ruin the relaxed atmosphere and to lighten the mood, saying "Yeah, that guy's a motormouth."

Tyuule didn't reply.

Dennis knew she had her own struggles, and if his own problems were remotely comparable to hers, the amount of effort needed to reign in her emotions and carry on was tough enough. Hell, the whole point of bringing her here had been to distract her from her troubles, not remind her of them!

Like any good American, he decided to switch gears as things got awkward.

So, he asked, "What do you do for fun?"

She gave him a look as if she didn't want to answer, so he answered himself.

"Like, back home we go to amusement parks."

"A... muse...men?" Charlotte repeated.

"Yeah, that's where we have rollercoasters, and..." he stopped, realizing neither the little girl nor Tyuule had a reference for what a rollercoaster even was.

"Okay... a rollercoaster is..."

He noticed the white-haired girl only stared at him with some degree of confusion, which gave him pause.

For her, the fact that he was going this far at all was many things.

It was distracting her from her goal.

It was giving her a picture of a potential future where she didn't have to be miserable.

It was making her heart rate increase.

But most importantly...

You're not a bad person, Orville. You shouldn't...

Seeing he was staring at her, she suppressed her inner turmoil further and replied "Quit staring, I want to hear about amusement parks, too!"

…

Upstairs, Rhodes was chewing into his hamburger, listening to the radio chatter, Alex operating the battery-operated machines next to him while reading off a checklist and looking at a crate that contained what appeared to be plastic casings with a label saying "Front Towards Enemy" on one side.

Finally, he closed the crate and put the list down.

"No, captain, I just verified. Our supply of explosives is fine."

Rhodes shook his head and said, "This is 2-1... we're three for three on this end."

On the other end of the radio, another officer said "Well, if none of our outposts have a clue then we need to start looking. This isn't a bullet or a tool that went missing, this is a live grenade." he spoke in stark contrast to his apparently relaxed demeanor.

"We're already starting over here. Our suspicion of this Haryo Tribe..."

"Yeah, I know."

He walked to the window, glancing out of it.

He noticed the rabbit girl sitting pretty next to his interpreter.

The girl's head turned slightly, looking at him as she ate.

He swallowed his food and got back on the radio, saying "I'll ask our friend if she knows anything."

"You're sure we can trust her?"

Once again, he glanced outside, noticing how meek the girl appeared as Dennis seemed to be trying to explain something to her.

She almost looks like a school girl next to him.

He huffed, not smiling because of the seriousness of the situation.

"If we can't trust her, then we can't trust anybody. I'll ask her directly."

So he moved down the stone steps of the decrepit old building that was their hideout.

Once downstairs, he paused to see if he could catch what Dennis was telling their leporine ally.

"...high up in the air and then just drop."

"And people do this for amusement?" came her somewhat detached, yet clearly interested reply; an odd combination of emotions if he'd ever seen one, but not entirely insane.

It's like two kids talking...

"Yeah, actually. Just one of the many things we do for fun back home."

Rhodes pursed his lips, but he knew they weren't here to have fun.

"Orville!"

Dennis turned like any good soldier.

"Translate if necessary."

"Yes, captain!"

Tyuule glanced at Dennis with a raised eyebrow, reminding herself that he was indeed a soldier, something that was easy to forget when talking so informally.

Rhodes spoke then.

"Miss Tyuule, you wouldn't know if the Haryo Tribe made or planned any moves against us, would you?" he asked quickly.

Tyuule took a second, but she appeared to understand as she said "Bouro should inform me if his people did something that would impact the situation, and I would never allow them to endanger our mission."

Rhodes nodded.

"A grenade was stolen from one of our hideouts in the city."

He had spoken so the other men could hear.

Tyuule wasn't entirely sure on the function of a "grenade", but given the men's reactions, it was clearly not good.

"We think it may have been a member of the Haryo tribe, though we don't exactly have proof."

Tyuule said "That sounds about right... they don't leave much evidence behind." Her mind drifting to the past once again, reminding herself that technically The Haryo Tribe wasn't so much an ally, at least, not in its entirety.

Mother... father...

Dennis eyed the girl with concern.

"So, we're going to have to cut things short... ma'am, thank you for the information. If you can help us out and see if your allies know anything that would be great. Den, get moving. We don't know what the person behind this is planning, and we may need you at a strategic position within the palace."

"Yes, captain." came the obedient reply.

Dennis stood up, glancing briefly at the little girl still sitting on Sean's lap.

"Captain, maybe we should keep civvies away until..."

"Yeah. Sean, take the kid to Misery once you escort Dennis and Miss Tyuule back."

"Yes, captain. Come on."

He picked up Charlotte, the little girl confused by the sudden change in atmosphere, but not voicing her concern.

Tyuule frowned ever so slightly, though whether it was because she was concerned over the missing weapon or because she didn't appreciate a rather enjoyable experience suddenly being cut short was up for debate.

Deep down, she didn't mind the reminder that her mission was to end the empire, not enjoy herself.

She glanced briefly at the nearby shadows.

Not sensing anyone, she relaxed.

Keeping an eye on the streets and making sure their weapons were loaded, they began to head back to the palace little by little.

The streets were far busier, now that it was the afternoon.

Which meant little for Tyuule, but Dennis kept eyeing the nearby streets with suspicion, a concern she understood but one she knew she wouldn't be able to do much about given how anyone trailing them would be able to hide in the crowds or behind corners.

For Dennis, however, there was an added concern.

A grenade going off in a crowded civilian area was NOT something the Americans needed right now.

Tyuule couldn't help but notice the unease in his eyes and spoke quietly.

"Once we get back, I'll consult with Bouro. If anyone knows about this, it's him."

"Right."

"Try to relax. You're not going to work properly if you're distracted."

"Yeah..." he said in the simple tone of a soldier following orders.

She frowned.

He had helped her with her unease, so would it not be appropriate for her to return the favor?

She internally shook away the thought, reminding herself that they were on a mission and she shouldn't be getting attached in any way to the soldier helping her. For all she knew, they might never see each other after their work was over and done with.

She glanced behind her, the little dog-girl hiding underneath the American... Sean's cloak, occasionally peering out and grinning as if everything was a game to the child.

Noting her melancholic expression, Dennis said "Hey, maybe after this is all over, I can-"

"Don't..." she said then, far more serious than before.

Dennis fell silent.

Whether or not the little girl chose to intervene then because she had noticed the growing tension or out of ignorance wasn't something either of them could answer as Charlotte ran up, got between them, took hold of his right hand and her left hand, and loudly said "Swing!"

Tyuule glowered at the little girl.

Sitting on her lap all of a sudden, she could forgive, but to intervene now, when she was desperately trying to distance herself from a situation she might not live through?

Unacceptable.

You little-

Dennis didn't let her mind finish the thought as he said "Hmm... Dad used to do this when I was little... well come on, she's not giving us much choice."

Tyuule felt her face grow warm given the way he spoke.

Instead of fighting it, however, she decided to play along for purely practical reasons as she didn't want the kid to cause a scene... right?

"O-of course... n-no choice!"

They got a few odd looks as the little girl playfully hopped back and forth holding on to the pair's arms, like any child who didn't know any better.

This... this isn't... bad.

Dennis occasionally glanced at her.

Despite the cloak hiding her features well, he felt a pang of melancholy emanate from the girl, as she wasn't smiling, despite her peaceful appearance.

He couldn't help but feel it as well.

Despite the laugh of the little girl between them, they both knew the happy moments were fleeting, and the knowledge only made it more difficult to enjoy.

But does it have to be like that?

1:33 PM

"Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!"

Tyuule heard Zorzal happily cry out as she approached the Royal fields, where the Capital's main Legions were marching.

Once Tyuule made it to Zorzal's position, she did her best to hide her surprise.

The young emperor had taken the legions and had, for lack of a better word, polished them.

The men carried their short swords ahead of their shields, the blades gleaming in the midday sun. The helmets sparkled almost like stars, and the bright red shields appeared almost freshly painted, with the dark purple of the leaders somehow glistening as well.

In the back of her mind, she shuddered at the memories the images conjured up, but by now she was well versed in hiding such emotions.

"Ah, Tyuule! I heard you went into the city today. Something important?"

"Perhaps, Majesty. I decided to look into the rumors our generals have heard, and met with several members of the Haryo tribe... it seems we have nothing to worry about." she lied.

Zorzal raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"It's merely the word of mouth that is being spread amongst certain merchants... specifically those who have yet to fully align themselves to your cause, Emperor. I have no proof yet, but I suspect it's all coming from senators who don't entirely agree with your campaign against the Americans."

It was an easy fix.

Thanks to the invention of the "radio" information traveled far faster through the Americans than word of mouth. Even if the young Emperor or his more competent generals discovered she had lied, they would have no way of proving it until it was too late.

As if to emphasize this, Zorzal nodded as he rubbed his chin, mumbling "That makes sense. Those cowards would never dare directly oppose me, so they bribe a few merchants here and there... damned cowards... damned cowards the lot of them!"

In the field, the Legion had formed a major "turtle" formation, shields protecting the men, blades poked out to stab the enemy should they charge.

Zorzal then said "No matter, I have yet to see any opposition in the senate. I could always veto any of their decisions if they did, of course... right now I'd prefer to present a unified front. If the enemy sees our resolve even in the face of terrible casualties, they'll flee."

"A brilliant strategy, your majesty!" she said, smiling.

Zorzal chuckled and put his hand around her waist, pulling her in close, saying "You always know what to say, my little bunny..."

Tyuule shuddered, realizing where his hands were moving.

"Oh- M-majesty, but- the field exercise..." she said, trying to keep the man off of her.

Zorzal sighed, saying "I don't mind them watching, though I shouldn't be so easily distracted... of course, this would just be one way to remind them who's in charge..." he said, grinning.

Tyuule hid her disgust, but resisted no further, knowing she had little choice.

I could just ask Dennis to kill him and... no... no, he'll die when I decide.

That was one reason she could ultimately tolerate the man's abuse.

Outskirts of Italica

Hamilton happily waved at the friendly forces who seemed to just as excitedly wave back.

Bozes sighed, saying "I take it you're rather popular amongst this army of boys."

"They're not much older than us. Nothing wrong with being a little... oh, I don't know. I don't mind."

There was a strange sense of familiarity with the younger Americans, many of whom were clearly about as young as the Rose Knights. Compared to the rest of the Imperial Army, where most Legions were made up of veterans who were already in their forties or thirties, it was oddly comforting to meet soldiers similar in age.

"Just remember why we're here. The attention of the opposite sex should not-"

"Drills! How did you get your hair like that?"

Bozes turned to the crowd of soldiers, realizing one of them knew enough of the local tongue to refer to her, cheeks reddening, face angry.

Hamilton laughed loudly.

Bozes turned, shut her eyes as she said "As I said... an army of boys. And not many of them, either."

Hamilton said, "Well, given their weapons, I'd say this is more than enough."

Bozes didn't reply.

A few moments later, a larger tent was seen in the distance, the purple flag making it very clear who it belonged to.

A few moments later, they arrived at the tent and the Rose Knight's order began to dismount and set up camp, Hamilton and Bozes moving to the tent, seeing Norma standing outside of its entrance.

The young man only waved at them, looking tired.

"Norma! Long time no see!"

The young knight smiled slightly but didn't say anything.

Bozes asked, "Is everything alright?"

He opened his mouth to speak when a shrill interrupted him.

"UNACCEPTABLE!"

An orange-haired girl stormed out of the tent, stopping only to glare at Bozes before turning back to the tent and saying "This cannot be allowed to stand!"

"What choice do we have?!" came the reply from an exasperated princess, who followed after her, stopping only to acknowledge her subordinates.

Hamilton and Bozes stood there for a few seconds, confused.

Beefeater and Gray stepped outside then.

It was Hamilton who asked, "What's happening?"

Beefeater sighed, saying "Countess Lady has no interests in permitting any breakup of the client kingdoms... nor is she happy with a planned operation to destroy the forests in the Dumas region."

Bozes felt her eyes widen as she asked "Destroy the forests?!"

"I don't understand it either, but the Americans are advancing on multiple fronts now, and I think the princess is scared they may try to just destroy the capital instead of sticking to the plan they had originally agreed to."

Hamilton gaped, asking "W-? but how-? What do you mean multiple fronts?"

Beefeater said, "They're hunting down the Flame Dragon to make a point."

"A FLAME DRAGON?"

Gray laughed loudly, saying "War is unpredictable, children! All we can hope is that they successfully get the enemy general to surrender once they do these feats. But if not... well, that's why you're here."

Hamilton asked, "But... how in the world are they going to hunt down the Flame Dragon?!"

Down the hill, Pina managed to catch up to Lady.

"Lady, he isn't giving us a choice!"

"The destruction of the forest cannot be allowed, let alone all this-"

"And what should we do?! I beg of you; what do you suggest we DO?!" Pina finally exploded, desperation in her voice.

Lady immediately said "Demand these Americans not carry out their plans! Waiting a little more time won't MEAN anything to them given their weaponry and we can wait for Tiberius to come to his senses!"

"That gives Zorzal more time to realize things are not as they seem and we could risk the destruction of the capital!"

"Destruction of-? Are they not noble people?!"

"What did we do when our enemies killed our people?!"

"But you said they aren't like us!"

"Of course! They'll force or try to force civilians to evacuate before they destroy it! Lady, forcing them to fight further is only going to result in what we've been trying to avoid! Even if they stopped to wait now, there is no guarantee we can convince them to negotiate! If anything, they may see us continuing our attempts at negotiations as proof they're winning."

Lady felt her jaw clench as she loudly said "But to lose even this much is unbecoming of... DAMN IT ALL!"

She huffed and whirled around, storming off.

Pina yelled after her, saying "Lady, losing this bit of land is acceptable when the alternative involves losing all of it! You know the situation!"

Lady paused, turned slightly, and finally said "I'm not happy about it... but I understand... now leave me in peace. I need to rest."

Pina let out an exasperated sigh.

The American colonel drove up then, a look of concern.

Pina said, "Nobles and politicians here are far less willing to cooperate sometimes..."

The Colonel glanced at his translator.

After a moment, he replied, "Heavy is the crown, is it not?"

Pina didn't reply, asking "So... how do your men plan on destroying the flame dragon? It would likely take the entire Imperial Army to defeat it, and that's in a level field... how do your men plan on killing it?"

Mount Tube

6:00 PM

"High grades munitions are the solution!" the Marine sergeant bellowed, eyeing up the large cave entrance.

The Marines were mostly there to keep an eye on Rory Mercury, with Army engineers preparing several of the large munitions they would throw at the beast to carry out their execution attempt. Specifically, a line of M67s was being positioned together to ambush the creature once it emerged from the cave.

Still, until that moment came, the Apostle could only sit near the men and watch, which to be fair, was the same situation her "sister" found herself in.

Rory only sighed, glancing at Gisselle, asking "What exactly is Hardy up to? You know I'm not a fan of her ploys."

Gisselle scoffed, saying "Even if I knew I wouldn't tell you. She says 'hi', is that not enough?"

"That lecherous woman will never be enough. And I don't trust her sending you here to observe my Marines!"

Gisselle only groaned "Look, I'm just following orders! Get off my back already!"

"As am I. Now, dear sister... please tell me what Hardy is up to."

Gisselle huffed, saying "I highly doubt Emroy asked you-"

"Emroy asked nothing of me. I am doing them a favor."

The declaration made Gisselle do a double-take. Shocked at the prospect of Rory following the orders of a human. Oh, helping them with tasks and answering prayers was one thing, but to so boldly claim she was following their orders?

Absurd!

"Ask her yourself, if you're so curious... and why are you following their orders, exactly?"

Rory replied with "It pleases me."

"And if Emroy reminds you of the law about technology?"

Silence.

"Better yet, what if Emroy does not approve of their technology? This isn't magic or divine providence; those are trinkets and human tools."

Behind them, CH-47s airlifted artillery, while UH-1s circled overhead as if to emphasize how wide the technological gap was between worlds.

Rory did not reply.

Gisselle laughed, saying "Why... is the Reaper is unsure? After 900 years, Rory Mercury has no answer?"

"They're devoted." she finally said.

"Ah?"

"They are devoted to their tasks and duties... that alone should gain them Emory's favor, whether they believe in him or not. It's gained them my favor, at least. I will not betray that. You can either help them or you can be swept aside alongside Hardy and anyone who gets in their way."

"In their way to what?"

"Victory? Liberation? Conquest?"

She grinned.

"All I know is that I like them. A lot... Now, you know Hardy better than anyone... any guesses as to what she wants?"

Down the Hill, Shaun sighed, cleaning him M16, a certain dark elf sitting nearby, watching him.

Finally, she asked, "How does that work?"

Shaun said, "It's complicated, but, in short..."

He showed her a round of 5.56 NATO.

"This tip right here is fired at high speeds, like an arrow or a spear, but instead of using a bow or string, it's launched by the explosion of gunpowder inside this section of the round. When it happens inside this..."

He picked up the rifle.

"It goes even faster, and even straighter... it allows for a lot more accuracy at a greater range, as well as a greater rate of fire."

Yao blinked.

God, you're cute...

Shaun then noticed a fellow Air Cav member eyeing her from a distance.

"Hey! I see you looking at her, Clint! I saw her first!"

The American named "Clint" only raised his hands in surrender and turned around.

"What was that?" Yao asked.

"A vulture... nothing more." Shaun sighed, going back to cleaning his rifle.

"I have to say, I was surprised to see anyone with dark skin amongst your ranks, but there is a great deal of human diversity. Why is that?"

Shaun smiled, saying "Long story, but about fifteen years ago, our leader decided we were all just as capable of killing as anyone. See, back then we were all split up, trained separately, got sent places separately... lots of slowdown of reinforcements. So splitting our forces was not as efficient, especially while we were at war. So, he decided t-"

"Apologies, I meant to ask why are so many of you different."

Shaun blinked, and asked, "Uh... well, why are dark elves different from white elves?"

"Curses, traditions, and belief! Elves of the forests worship peaceful, weak gods that give them sensitive skin... we, on the other hand, worship strong-"

"Oh... oh, no..."

"Hmm?" came the innocent question.

Shaun rubbed the back of his head and said "Right... medieval world... damn it all."

Then, switching to the local tongue, he said "Right... remember how I told you we don't like slavery?"

She nodded.

"Right, so... while I'm sure people may disagree, we mostly think people are equal."

"But being equal does not mean we are the same?"

"True, true, but... that people are or were made inferior... eh, that doesn't... go over well... with... me..."

"O-oh... alright... I didn't know..." she said, more surprised than anything else.

Back up the hill, Rory loudly exclaimed "ENTERTAINMENT?!"

"She sounded bored. What do you want me to tell you?"

Rory groaned, saying "I suppose I wanted something that didn't sound so like her... ugh. I'll go inform the sergeant."

Hardy said, "You know they're just using you for their own interests, right?"

Rory's reply was to ignore her.

New York City, New York

The American Ambassador to the UN looked over the documents with little care as the world leaders continued to discuss the latest news before the meeting was called to order. Papers were shuffled, throats cleared, the room quieted.

Cameras had already been rolling, of course, but that didn't matter as much as the Soviet Ambassador's words.

"This emergency meeting has been called to address the sudden spike in heavy military assets being sent from the United States to the lands beyond the gate in Dallas."

A brief and respectful pause.

"Ambassador, your response?"

The old man grinned from ear to ear as he slowly waved a hand and the materials, he would need for the following presentation was brought in.

"The reasons for a growth in heavy military assets within the region beyond the Gate is actually quite simple..."

On the board behind him, the assistant went and placed four black and white photographs so that they covered the entire board.

He took a pointer and slapped it against the upper left photograph, which was a very recently obtained picture of the large, likely volcanic, mountain is known as "Mount Tube".

"Gentlemen, this here is Mount Tube. No, we have no information on who named it, or why. This mountain here is highly important due to it being the current residence of one of the larger threats in the lands beyond the Gate... a so-called Flame Dragon. We can attest its existence thanks to an encounter it had with United States Marines during the early days of the invasion as well as damages to villages encountered by our troops. Attacks had stopped since its first encounter wounded it, but as evidenced by the... locals..."

A brief pause, the man not entirely comfortable with labeling the locals as "dark elves".

He continued.

"...this creature is alive and recovering, and is likely as large a threat as the main enemy force, but we'll get to that, hold your horses... the second reason..."

He pointed to the second photograph on the top right, several hills and mountains being visible.

"...guerilla forces on the Dumas Mountain range. These have been waging a destructive campaign of violence since we arrived, stripping the land bare, never engaging us directly, and only once we secured the area, did they retreat to the mountains, laying booby traps and sticking to small attacks on our fortifications. Surveillance has shown that they are well entrenched, and not willing to negotiate... they are a major threat as well, several of our soldiers have already been badly injured by them since this campaign began... third reason..."

He then pointed to the bottom left picture, one of a young man in expensive but ancient-looking clothes.

"Emperor Zorzal el Caesar. We've been monitoring him for the past few weeks now, and he has been focused on continuing the war his father started. Evidence has shown that he is trying to gather an army to face us, and his conditions for peace are, to put it bluntly, unacceptable as he is demanding slaves and reparations be given to his empire. Another threat, but arguably not the biggest one."

Finally moving to the lower right picture.

"Unknowns are our biggest threat right now. Just yesterday, American Marines and members of the 7th Cavalry have encountered beings known as apostles. These beings are capable of superhuman feats of strength, speed, and agility, and have been known to heal from even mortal wounds... they also claim to serve even more powerful beings that exist within the lands beyond the gate."

Several soft-spoken mutterings were heard across the room.

The Soviet Ambassador only grimaced.

With a mildly annoyed tone, he spoke.

"Even so, to bring such weapons of destruction against a pre-industrial society is nothing short of barbaric and abusive, is it not?"

The American ambassador scoffed.

Loudly.

"Abuse? Abuse? We're going up against an army of men armed with sticks and stones who faced down an armored battalion and still charged at it. That same army, when pushed back, then proceeded to target civilians! These are people, sir, not beasts that don't know what they're doing. It's why we have the support of several key heads of state, and why so many civilians flock to our lines. The heavier weapons should only result in the conflict ending sooner."

It was the Swedish Ambassador who interjected then, saying "To be fair, you are facing a pre-industrial force. Are firearms and armor not enough? Would more manpower not have the same effect?"

The American Ambassador was somewhat caught off guard, but this was a man who knew how to dance the international stage, and he was not so easily tossed aside.

However, it is easier to deflect an actual attack than an unintentional one...

"Well, sir, the situation is that diverting more men would take away our attention from other fronts... particularly West Germany and Asia. Given the current situation in Vietnam, it should be noted that America has no intention of abandoning its allies."

"I was under the impression your people were completely pulling out of Vietnam."

"Most have pulled out to send a message to the present... administration... but if the people of Vietnam wish to continue being allies of the United States, we will not abandon them."

The Swedish ambassador frowned ever so slightly.

It was no secret that the Swedish government did not approve of further intervention in Vietnam by any foreign power, and while it appeared that the Americans were indeed pulling out, the fact they were doing so reluctantly made it clear that the Americans and the Swedes did not entirely agree on the appropriate policy for handling Vietnam.

Which was something the Soviet Ambassador likely wished to act upon given the briefest glimpse of satisfaction at the American's decision to not divert too much from other countries.

"This is just a shorthand for the fact that America has no intention in giving up its imperial gains." came the sudden phrase from the Soviet Ambassador.

Oh, of course...

"It seems the Americans only wish to be powerful enough to keep a stronghold on their allies, so while the United Kingdom and France are decolonizing, the Americans are actively trying to enact a new age of colonization! I ask the board, how is that just?"

Mutterings continued across the room.

"You cannot seriously pretend this is comparable to last century's imperialism!" The American ambassador quickly protested.

"Why not? Are your base, and subsequent town in the lands beyond the gate, not colonies? Are you not claiming vast sums of land as a territory? Do you wish to return those lands once the war is over?" came the confident question.

He has you there...

However, the ambassador expected such a line of attack.

"I believe it is worth mentioning that such progress has been made under the choice of the people, and we have no intention of enslaving or placing them under torture for differing political views. In fact, while we do intend to take some land as territory, it is being done with express support from the locals, and we intend to, perhaps soon, treat them as citizens. Our men treat them appropriately and our culture allows for far greater tolerance and acceptance than anything in this other world. Would slaves not flee to a free nation if they had the opportunity? Imperialism or not, this is the will of the people manifesting."

"A will that coincidentally coincides with your nation gaining more power, no? And even so, all of this good treatment is happening just beyond international reach? Away from the eyes of people who could call out and do something about human rights violations? How convenient."

Then the Swedish Ambassador said, "We could always increase the presence of the United Nations."

All eyes turned to him then.

The man politely said "Our forces have had some successful operations in the Congo and are being withdrawn now that things are stabilizing. I'm sure some neutral observers and peacekeepers should be enough to keep the American military in line and report any signs of abuse or breaking of the rules of war."

"I don't see why not." the American was quick to say, although he left some room for maneuvering in case his leaders decided to go against the UN's decision.

Silence reigned then.

"Are there any objections?"

Complete silence.

With a smile, he said, "Then let's put it to a vote!"

Imperial Capital

7:00 PM

"UN troops?" Dennis asked over the radio.

"Yeah, they just announced it. Not exactly sure on a timeframe, but they're going to be observing and assisting where possible in the whole peacekeeping operations. Not sure if they're coming to the capital, either."

"Why? We've got enough guys in here to conquer and occupy-?"

"Not our position to ask questions, Dennis. Plus, odds are it's for international relations. All it means is that we need to do an extra good job."

Dennis huffed slightly but asked nothing.

"Anything on the Grenade?" he asked after a brief pause.

"No, nothing yet. Your girl find anything?"

"Not that I know of. She went to give her report to the Emperor. Haven't seen her since, and..."

He felt his jaw clench but quickly forced himself to hide his anger as he said "...and I'm a bit worried. But I think she can handle it."

Silence on the other end.

"Hey, captain, is Sean around?"

"Yeah, he's right here... I'll put him on for you."

"Thanks, captain."

There was a brief pause before he heard the familiar voice.

"Hey, man, what's the situation?"

"Charlotte alright?"

"Char-? Yeah, she's with Misery. Told her to stay put."

"Good... that's good... Sean, I have a question about something you mentioned earlier today."

"Shoot."

"That book... the romance novel... what's it really about?"

"Doña Barbara?"

"Yeah... I saw you fidget around. What was up with that?"

With a sigh, Sean said "It's technically a romance novel, but the main villain is this woman who wants to get revenge after several men raped her when she was younger. She gives up everything for her revenge, gets it, too... but the person she fell in love with ultimately goes with her daughter, who was the result of the... rape..."

"Jesus, they let you read that garbage in Princeton?!"

"Look, it's a good read, okay? Don't judge-"

"Why'd you bring it up then?!"

"Because your girlfriend reminded me of it! She wants revenge, we know the prince is abusing her as much as possible... hell, how many times has she refused to evacuate to carry out the mission?"

Dennis was at a loss at that statement.

"Look, she's a real person, I know, but... you have to be careful around-"

"She's not my girlfriend. We're on a mission, I'm not philandering with the locals for fun." Dennis replied coldly.

"Sure."

"I'm serious... but maybe... maybe later... once this is all over."

"Look man, that's none of my business. If you're worried, she'll turn into a real Dona Barbara, keep in mind there's plenty of fish in the sea."

"...yeah..."

But there's only one of her...

The statement however reminded him that he could potentially lose those he cared about.

Against his wishes, his mind brought back images of Itálica, and while few civilians had been wounded or killed, he couldn't get the sound and image of the grieving wails that came from the surviving family members.

He took a deep breath and forced the thoughts away.

It's getting easier...

April 22, 1964

Outskirts of Italica

1:00 AM

The starry night sky was shining a brilliant blue as the night continued its course.

Bozes and Beefeater were standing near the hills, overlooking the strange American defenses.

Bozes asked, "Have they tried pushing into the mountain?"

"Nope. Other than sending a few men in these special clothes that hide them in the thick forest, nothing. Heard the cowards with Tiberius set up some traps, so that's probably a big reason to stick to the edges of the forest."

Silence.

"Has Princess Pina gotten any rest?"

Beefeater only shrugged, saying "She's running around too much. I was mostly observing these men while Grey kept up with her and Diabo... they're planning something with the Americans, but exactly what isn't something I'm entirely certain of."

Silence again.

Beefeater asked, "Does this feel like treason?"

Bozes said "My loyalty was always to the princess and her people, not the Emperor... but I'd be lying if I said I felt wholly comfortable with this turn of events. It's almost like the gods are mocking us for our uselessness."

Beefeater shrugged at that, her eyes catching several men walking back behind the lines, talking to each other in that language she barely understood. Their helmets and uniforms were strange on their own, but there was some degree of kinship in seeing how they shouldered their weapons similar to how her knights often shouldered their blades. It reminded her that they weren't entirely alien.

Even with their strange language, at least some words like "hi" and "hello" were easy enough to pick up and understand, but as the men walked past them...

"Ey, Tex, ioo evah lissen tu sam Gioni Cash?"

Nope... no way she could hope to understand them.

She sighed, saying "some have tried flirting with me, you know?"

Bozes was quick to ask "Really?"

"Yes, but they're impossible to understand unless they're trying to speak our language... even then it's kind of awkward."

Bozes nodded.

Beefeater said "A shame, too. Some are quite eye-catching. I wouldn't mind-"

There was a loud TWANG and some shouted "Contact!"

Immediately the entire defense line opened up with their weapons firing into the forest, knocking down trees and tearing bushes to dust.

"Ugh! That's another issue!" Beefeater yelled over the gunfire.

After a moment of the roar of rifles and machine guns, someone shouted "Cease fire! Cease firing, God damn it!"

Then the night went quiet again, albeit far quieter than before. As if the noises of the night had taken the sudden eruption of gunfire as a warning to be silent.

"When they get fighting it's a miracle they don't lose their hearing! By the gods!" Beefeater groaned.

Bozes asked, "Was it even an attack?"

"Yeah... the cowards... they fire arrows from far away, always at night... hope no one was killed."

"Seriously?!"

"Seriously... Tiberius may have turned into a coward, but... I can't say it's entirely ineffective."

Bozes stared at the forest across the field.

"How will this end?" she asked out loud.

The night sounds slowly returning was the only response she got.

Mount Tube

5:00 AM

The Marine sergeant stared at the massive cave entrance with a frown.

Something's not right...

"What?" asked the girl.

"I don't know... cave feels... off somehow."

Rory grinned, saying "Perhaps you have a superior sense of-"

Not about to tolerate flirting with the child-like girl, the Marine sergeant immediately pulled rank and said "Did the dragon girl say anything else to you?"

Rory sighed, disappointed as she said "No, she's just been floating around up there... monitoring things..."

"Is her story about this goddess just being bored something you believe?"

She frowned, saying "Yes, sergeant. But there could be ulterior motives. The only way to understand Hardy is to become her."

"Doesn't bode well for our efforts then... she could turn on us on a dime."

"Are the weapons you set up here not enough?"

The Marine Sergeant only turned around and began walking back to the small operating center they had established near the entrance.

Rory growled at her own frustration with the Marines but knew she would still follow them. She liked them too much, as warriors like these were unique.

The level of destruction they could bring to bear was also something to admire, but their dedication simply stood out to her.

As they walked down the mountain, they got to the command center.

The elders of the dark elves stood under the tent, their guards standing on their side.

"So, you're certain it can be done?" the old man asked the Army officer.

That was another thing Rory noticed.

The Marine contingency was mostly there in support of the larger American Army contingency, which made her curious of the difference in soldiers, but not enough to ask just yet.

The Army officer said, "Well, the weapons we're bringing in will take another day or so to get here, but we have some heavy weapons that should be enough to kill it if it pops out of that cave early... hopefully."

The elder didn't comment on the nervous smile the American gave him as Rory finished translating for them.

Instead, he asked "Now that you have seen the cave and terrain... How do you plan on killing it, exactly?"

Translate.

"We plan to use Rory to lure it out, and then we'll knock it down, or pin it to the ground using artillery. It's a heavy creature, so it won't be able to lift off as easily. If it's still alive, our aircraft will be quick to destroy it."

Translate.

"That easy?"

Translate.

"Well, difficult to coordinate, but it should be relatively easy if you know what you're doing."

Translate.

The elders nodded, also looking up at the ancient mountain, the stars in the sky beginning to hide as the morning began to overtake the night ever so subtly.

"It had been terrorizing our lands for quite some time now. You're the first ones to even wound it."

The Marine sergeant didn't really care about the sob story, letting the Army officers take the lead in that sense.

Honestly, if we didn't get that Apostle-bitch assigned to us...

He'd rather be doing his job, not babysitting a super-human.

Glancing at the morning sky, the glowing sunlight giving it a shade of yellow, orange, blue, and still black of night, he noticed the other "Apostle" flying over the mountain.

Up in the air, Gisselle sighed, bored.

The Americans weren't charging into the cave to hunt the creature down as some foolish knights had done in previous years, they were camping outside. It was honestly quite boring, but her mission wasn't to be entertained.

As she pondered this, she heard a familiar voice in her head.

Oh, dear me, this is taking too long.

"Excellency?" she asked aloud.

I had been hoping they would have charged in to kill it already! It's literally recovering and vulnerable, why on earth wouldn't they charge in and try to kill it?!

Gisselle could think of a few reasons, but none that made these men from another world appear as anything less than huge cowards.

Hardy on the other hand was clearly offended.

It's like they're trying to be boring about it all... Gisselle?

"Yes, madame?"

With a dark grin in her voice, Hardy spoke with authority.

Awake the dragons early. Let's make this interesting... also, inform them that there will be a reward if they win.

"A reward?"

Indeed.

Gisselle sighed, not at being told what to do but at her boss's obsession with entertainment.

With a tired snap of her fingers and a cynical thought, she was able to manipulate the dragons' minds into growing awake, which was all they really needed at this point.

Suddenly the mountain shook and a massive roar sounded that echoed through the large mountain.

She then flew to the ground, finding the American command center in disarray.

"What was that?!" the Army officer demanded over the radio.

One of the Dark Elves muttered something and Rory translated.

"That... that wasn't one flame dragon... that sounded like..."

"Like what?!"

She turned to the officer with a grim look and said "It sounded like at least three."

At this Gisselle decided to make her entrance once more.

"Fu-fu-fu... are you frightened?" she asked, mockingly, relishing in the confusion of the Americans who were not used to the magic of this other world.

It was Rory who angrily demanded, "What did you do?!"

Gisselle smirked, saying "I did nothing. This is the will of Hardy it appears. She told me that things were getting quite boring, so she awoke the other two Flame Dragons that sleep in these caves."

At this, the Army officer only replied with "You're joking."

"Deny reality all you like... however, Hardy is a just god. Succeed here, and she promises a reward."

"Oh, good to know..." came the disrespectful retort.

The Marine Sergeant, having been listening calmly to the situation, spoke up then.

"Right, then you have no problem staying down here?"

Gisselle frowned, saying "Of course I don't mind. I need to observe you."

"Good. Let's go, Rory."

"Yes, Sergeant!"

"Sergeant, what are you-?"

"Their main exit is going to be through that cave unless they fly out, and right now we can't allow them to fly out. We need to call in the artillery and if we want to kill it... well, someone is going to have to distract it."

The Army officer nodded then, gritting his teeth.

The dark elves tried to chime in, the elder, quickly saying "Take my warriors! They can be of aid to you in fighting the dragon!"

Rory was quick to translate.

The Sergeant, turned, gave the dark elves one look, and said "No."

Bows and arrows against some monstrosity that could tank 90-millimeter rounds from a Patton? No way in hell, chief.

Rory hopped in step with the Marine and asked "So, sergeant, what's the battle plan?"

The only response was "I'll think of something..."

The Dark Elves looked both relieved and disappointed, but the Army officer took a second to say "Relax, things just got a bit more chaotic, something Marines excel at. Odds are we'd just get in the way." then, over the radio, "Battery group 1, what's your status?"

"Guns are all set. What was that noise, colonel?"

"Bad news. Get ready to provide fire support, understood?"

…

"Brody, how's that sixty?"

"Set."

"Alright... got the M67s loaded... we're going to hit 'em from once they come outta there, then, once the artillery gets called in, we book it!"

Rory cheerfully ran over and asked, "And what will I do, captain?"

"You're going to play bait."

"Bait?"

"Bait. You're faster than anyone here, stand by the entrance and try to entice them."

"Hmm... dragons are usually quite hungry after spending a hibernation period... alright." she sighed, disappointed.

"Don't try to engage it too much, just dodge it as best you can so that it's in one spot when the artillery hits."

"Yes, sir!" she said, saluting and grinning from ear to ear.

The Marine Sergeant said nothing, moving away, he quickly picked up one of the M67s and down the mountain a touch.

"If it's anything like a flying tank, hitting its underbelly should kill it."

The sergeant didn't reply to the young man, focusing on the cave entrance.

Rory stood by herself, halberd on her right hand, left hand on her hip.

She glanced behind her, noticing the command center was already evacuated.

She frowned, wondering how much longer she would have to wait as she didn't hear the footsteps of the gigantic beasts.

Which on its own was worrisome enough, but there was another issue.

She was already concerned about her "sister" as she did have the ability to control wild wyverns, a gift from a certain perverted goddess, but as her heightened senses monitored for the beasts, she expected to see come out of the mountain cave, she couldn't help but wonder if Gisselle was also able to influence fully grown fire dragons.

Shouldn't be impossible, but... what does that do for me?

Her answer was immediately clear as a massive shadow loomed over her.

There was an odd second of complete stillness as the realization of what was happening came over them.

Oh, damn it all.

She was tossed aside like a ragdoll as the massive beast landed right next to her, the shockwave it caused sending stone and dirt flying, the giant creature's wounds mostly healed, though the scars where the skin had been pierced showed. Still, it was clearly hellbent on showing why it was the apex predator in the continent.

Not a problem, Rory Mercury had been thrown around a fair bit in her near thousand-year lifetime, and she quickly regained control and landed on her two feet. However, she had very little opportunity to react as a second, somewhat smaller dragon ran from the cave towards her, mouth open with a giant row of sharp teeth as big as she was wide open.

She huffed and jumped high in the air, just barely dodging the gaping maw of the dragon, grinning as her Marines fired into the beasts with their recoilless rifles. She didn't see the exact impact, but the pained moans from the larger dragon gave her some satisfaction as she continued playing her game of catch with the second monster.

"Ron, send the call!" the Marine Sergeant shouted over the sound of the M67s firing along with the M60 chattering away, the Marine firing it doing his best to target the eyes of the monsters. The 7.62 by 51-millimeter NATO rounds doing a great job of hitting their target, unfortunately...

"Well, God damn! The thing really is like a flying tank!"

The Marine Sergeant only grunted a response, seeing the rounds slam into the skin of the monster and politely bounce clean off similarly to what he had seen machine gun rounds bounce off armored vehicles.

Another Marine fired the M67, the three-and-a-half-inch high explosive round fared much better than the comparatively smaller .308 rounds they were firing at the monsters, but it wasn't killing them. In fact, other than the creatures screeching in pain, and trying to retreat into the cave, they hadn't done much damage.

Arguably worse, the M67's backblast was... an issue.

The M67 was designed to be fired from the ground using a bipod and monopod to hold it up, though, given the circumstances, the Marines had to haul ass and move to fire it from their shoulder similar to the M20 "Super Bazooka", an item he'd personally prefer to be using there and then.

But it was doing its job of injuring the monsters and keeping them from flying off.

"Keep firing, cover Rory. Ron!"

"It's on the way!"

Far behind them, on another ridge, they could hear the pounding of the massive 155-millimeter Howitzers that had been airlifted just the previous day suddenly erupt in anger like some kind of storm on the horizon.

"Oh... Rory, get outta there now!" he yelled again over the gunfire and shells being launched at the beasts.

Rory hopped from the snout of one of the creatures with a gleeful "Yes, sir!"

She landed on the ground and rushed back to the Marine line.

"Stay down!"

Now that they weren't sustaining fire, the monsters saw their chance to counterattack. Massive wings spread high and far, causing strong winds to pelt the Marines with pebbles and dust. Sucking in a breath, their necks began to glow as they prepared to launch their main method of attack and defense.

The biological means for this were not entirely understood, let alone how creatures that massive was able to stand on their own, let alone fly. Unfortunately, it seemed that scientists wouldn't have a live specimen to study for quite some time.

The 155-millimeter shells were deadly accurate given that they had such large targets to hit.

The first one slammed into the back of the smaller dragon, the creature spewing out a breath of fire high into the sky as it suddenly found its body being slammed into the rocky ground by several other shells that had been fired at a muzzle velocity of 563 meters a second.

The larger fire dragon didn't fare any better as the fourth shell to hit landed on its head, killing it instantly as it collapsed the skull.

More shells landed, lifting dust, rocks, dirt, bones, and gore into the air, shaking the ground and the very mountain.

The Marines stared, unblinking.

One of them shakily mumbled "You don't think it's going to be like Godzilla, right? They're not going to just pop back up, are they?"

In response, the Sergeant tapped the younger man's helmet and pointed to the area where the dust was beginning to clear away.

No, the giant reptiles were very clearly dead.

Rory let out a sigh, saying "Well, that was rather anticlimactic... I was hoping for a more engaging-"

"We don't give the enemy a fair fight. Ron, report back, please."

…

Gisselle stared at the scene, shaken despite the jovial atmosphere around her.

The Americans were simply cheering at the destruction caused by their artillery while the elves were celebrating the death of the animal that had caused them so much grief.

So few did all of... damn it all!

She took a breath, knowing there was still one dragon in the mountain, waiting for her to order it forward, but what would be the point?

Off in the distance, she could see the American "aircraft" circling, as if waiting to be ordered what to do. The metal birds were monstrous in their own right, appearing not unlike spears.

Hmm...

An idea popped into her head, and she decided to try it out.

"Score, two dragon kills for the 3rd Field Artillery- hold that thought..." the colonel quickly grabbed his binoculars.

On the very tip of the top of the once volcanic mountain, a third, reddish monster flew out at impossible speed as it flew above the dark clouds, out of sight.

Quickly getting on the radio, the Colonel shouted "Weasels 1 and 2, third bogey has flown out of the mountain, you see it?"

The radio chattered back.

"Copy, colonel, we have its signature on Radar. Pursuing."

Gisselle winced.

Pursuing?

She had instructed it to attack, how could the aircraft already be behind it?!

It turned out that F4 Phantoms could fly far faster than the young and inexperienced Flame Dragon she was controlling.

It was over before it could have started.

First, a pair of AIM-7 Sparrows were fired directly at it.

Given its tough scales and tank-like nature, the radar-guided missiles not only found their target, unlike the battles during the Taiwan Strait, where they were on at least one occasion found to have lodged themselves on the aircraft they were targeting without detonating which allowed the pilot to fly the plane and the missile back home (an embarrassing loss of technology to the communist forces), these detonated properly, knocking the young Flame Dragon out of the sky.

That alone would have been enough to kill the creature as it plummeted to the rocky ground below. One could only guess how many broken bones and damaged organs resulted from the fall. It mattered little how much armor something carries, as even if it isn't penetrated, the sheer kinetic force of a hit can be enough to liquefy the insides.

The Phantoms, however, were not done.

Instead of waiting for confirmation on whether the dragon was alive or not, they strafed the target with a long burst of its M61 Vulcan, a 20-millimeter automatic cannon that could fire a rate of 6,000 rounds per minute.

Only then did the aircraft pull back to ensure the target was down.

They began circling, noticing that it wasn't moving.

Gisselle froze as the Americans got the radio report.

"Target is down, unmoving, we'll provide grid coordinates so that you fellas can double-tap it, just in case."

"Copy, Weasle 1, thanks."

The Colonel then turned to the girl with a sigh.

"So... Miss Gisselle... what was that about a reward?"

Gisselle's response was to shrink back at the gleam in the eyes of the men who slaughtered 3 of the deadliest creatures in her world with little hardship.

Washington D.C

"So... a meeting with the goddess who planned all this?" the president asked over the phone.

"Allegedly, sir. Though, apparently, it's only going to be between her and the men who killed the dragons." the general replied.

"Oh, a shame. I was quite curious to meet a supposed goddess... I suppose that means there's no need for the bombers to go through?"

"Well, with the dragons out of the way, the biggest threat now is the Empire's forces in the mountains."

The president frowned.

"There haven't been any losses yet, have there?"

"Deaths, no, but the injured are piling up. They only attack at night, sir. We don't allow men to go up the mountain due to the traps we've found. We've got a multi-pronged battle strategy here, a defoliating campaign, and a bombing campaign. Once that's dealt with, it should be much easier to locate them and take them out."

"I see... right then, keep it up." he sighed.

Frankly, he was too busy with other issues to worry about the Army dealing with guerilla forces at the moment. So long as they kept within the accepted rules of war, he could let his people deal with it.

At least for today.

Today... oh, today was a problem.

The door opened and in came two representatives.

The president smiled politely, saying "Gentlemen, please, sit down."

The well-dressed men did as told; the one carrying the papers in a binder placing it on the desk and smiling awkwardly.

"Well... let's cut to the chase. You don't like the plan we have set up here moving forward."

A nod.

"Well... what are your objections on, exactly?"

As if I don't know...

"W-well... we worry that the acceptance of these... demi-humans... we worry it could cause problems if they are quickly accepted into society."

The president frowned.

"The plan isn't to quickly accept them into modern society, it is to commence a process of educating them like any other citizen. Once they have enough understanding to travel to and from-"

"See, that's the problem, sir. If you want to educate them on their world, that's all fine and good, but... to bring them into our country... sir, these are half human half animal hybrids, who knows what problems they could cause?"

The president frowned.

On the one hand, it was a valid concern, not just on a social level but a scientific one.

Just how blurred was the line between a human and a non-human, really?

This wasn't a situation where a monkey could learn sign language, these were sentient, intelligent life forms that could speak and communicate their interests and emotions like any other person... but they weren't entirely "human".

Could there be birth defects if the races mixed?

Could the inherent nature of some of the more animal-like humans be dangerous to others?

The report of a "medusa" came to mind, despite the girl being more than capable of coexisting with people.

On the other hand...

The second man spoke up.

"Sir, this isn't like the arguments on whether blacks and whites should mix, we... we're over that... but without knowing the possible ramifications of... incorporating whole new races that aren't entirely human into our society..."

The president sighed.

"So, what do you suggest?"

The man said "Simple, we just... don't allow people from this other world through to our own."

"Uh-huh... this is why you're pushing to revoke the War Brides Act?"

The men shifted nervously.

The president sighed.

"Look, gentlemen, I know there are concerns over integration applying to people who... let's face it, aren't entirely human. But we're politicians, not scientists, and right now, the exact science behind them... well... it's still being worked out."

"We understand, but-"

"But... but we cannot allow fear to deny individuals in our society basic liberty."

"But, with all due respect... you've placed conditions on allowing them to come here."

"Only what has been deemed necessary. Can you imagine Charlemagne suddenly being plopped right in the middle of Times Square today? Panic attack and culture shock aside, he'd have no idea what to do. We must provide the tools needed for future citizens... or nationals... to understand what they are now a part of."

"But... there is a growing concern among the public-"

"I understand, but public opinion cannot always dictate policy... you think I haven't heard of what's happening in your states? Birmingham alone is already infamous. What would you think would happen if I chose my policy based on the public opinion of Birmingham?"

Silence.

With a slight chuckle, the president said "Or perhaps I should call it Bombing-ham now, right?"

The men were not amused.

Getting serious again, the president said "I'm not going to pretend everyone agrees with me, nor will I shut you down... but I will not support this."

The men sunk in their seats.

"We only came to voice our concerns, mister president... nothing more."

The president nodded, saying "I understand gentlemen. Believe me, I understand we all have the best interests of the people at heart."

Course... how we intend to achieve our goals is entirely different, I'd wager.

With that, the two members of the Democratic party nodded, shook hands, and left, leaving the young president with his thoughts.

The pieces were all in place.

It was just a matter of them falling into place now.

His mind briefly went back to Vietnam, and he wondered if there was anything more he could do... or could have done...

He rubbed his temple at the flaring headache the thoughts gave him.

What's done, is done...

It was always humbling seeing how little control he really had over his own country, but... in a way, it wasn't like the Founding Fathers had intended for an absolute dictator to be elected into office every four years now, had they?

April 29th, 1964

Alnus

"What in the world?"

It was an appropriate reaction from some of the civilians to the similar but different uniforms of the Canadian and Irish detachments that were driving in right behind several American military trucks. While they knew of the Americans and other nations, the uniform of these "United Nations" observers was somewhat more eye-catching.

The Americans were, for lack of a better word, actively trying to blend into their environment, and their green uniforms and helmets made that clear.

These men were arriving with berets, some blue, some red, their rifles entirely different from those seen carried by the Americans.

It wasn't the wooden M14, and it wasn't the sleek and alien M16.

No, these weapons were just... strange.

FN-FAL variants, as well as the far stranger, L2A3 "Sterling". The residents of Alnus had seen a few American guns like it, but none so... odd.

Coupled with the fact most of the men had facial hair where the Americans were mostly clean-shaven... well, odd stares were all they would get.

Colonel Jean could only sigh at the looks of curiosity coming from the children.

This was different from the Congo as it turned out.

And yet oh so very similar...

Canada, Ireland, Sweden, and several other nations had been involved in peacekeeping the emerging nation of the Congo, which... well, to put it mildly, hadn't been easy.

UN casualties weren't exactly horrid, but to say combat had not been fierce would be an understatement. Then again, that classification would be up to historians. Like any good citizen of the British Empire (what was left of it at this point) he would continue to lead his men with a stiff upper lip... even if the operation was less to peace keep and more to observe. Despite the USSR protesting Canadian involvement in the Congo, now it was welcoming their involvement across the Gate as observers.

The reason was obvious the colonel. Aside from it giving the Russians more eyes in the "new world", it could act as an extra weight to the Americans. A reminder that "people are watching", so they couldn't be reckless, and while the Canadian didn't entirely disagree with the sentiment, he did have to question the necessity of it all. Glancing behind him on the truck, and noting that there was, in fact, a few scientists on board, he figured it only made sense that once the war was over, the UN would try to keep... well... whatever the Americans left of this "Empire" from falling into total anarchy, as well as nation-building.

At the thought, he glanced at his FN C1, noting that the rifle cartridge it fired was exclusively for self-defense this time around.

There would be no UN-led offensives this time, and he was fine with that.

As the trucks rolled by the town, he couldn't help but notice the American presence, men- well, boys really, actively flirting with local women.

That was all well and good, but he had to raise an eyebrow given the nature of the locals.

It was one thing for a younger man to go after an older woman, but as he could now see through his own eyes and not from newspaper photographs or television news... the soldier he was seeing, M16 on his back was clearly flirting and laughing with a woman that had wolf-like ears and a tail.

"A new world, indeed," he muttered to no one in particular.

From the looks of it, there was one positive thing he could mention.

This world seems more peaceful compared to what we saw before...

He didn't hear the aircraft overhead, or if he did, he didn't bother looking up to see them off.

Dumas Mountain Range

The payload had originally been used by the British armed forces back in the 1950s during the now-famous "Malayan Emergency", where it served its purpose well in fighting insurgents in the land, denying them food and shelter by destroying the plants and trees, crops, or otherwise.

Of course, this wasn't a "normal" payload.

No, that would come later.

This was a particularly nasty mix of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid, and while its effects on humans weren't entirely cemented as hard science, its effects on plants had been noticeable enough in its previous uses and the veteran pilots of the C-123 "Provider" knew this as they confirmed their targets and released the payload.

The plants below, crops or otherwise, would all be dead in a few days.

The American military had been using this since 1961, at the behest of the South Vietnamese government oddly enough. With the precedent provided by the British, the American president had allowed its use in Vietnam to prevent anti-government forces from using the jungle against the ARVN in what had been called "Operation Ranch Hand".

But now Ranch Hand was canceled, and the millions of gallons within US jurisdictions were being taken elsewhere for similar use.

Not that General Tiberius knew or could have known.

He stepped outside of the cave and raised an inquisitive eyebrow as the large enemy flying machines flew in low.

For a second, he considered risking one of his ballistae to get a shot off and see if it would take it down.

He immediately thought otherwise as the machines began to release a strange cloud over the forest.

What in the-?

He had no intention of finding out.

"Get the men inside! Pull them back from the forest, now!" he ordered, officers rushing to carry out the command without question.

As the men quickly stopped what they were doing and rushed to the shelter of the caves, one officer asked "General, what is-?"

"I don't know what that cloud is, but it's coming from their machines and is descending on the forest. I don't know what they're planning but it cannot be good..."

The man nodded and rushed into the cave.

Tiberius observed the cloud fall slowly into the forest, disappearing almost on contact with the plants as men rushed out of it.

What are you up to?

No reply came as the enemy flying machines flew away.

Down the mountain, in the fields below, a lone military jeep stood on a hill, Trent sighed as he watched the herbicide fall onto the mountain in the form of a fine mist. Partly lamenting the loss of the plant life. What had they done? Partly lamenting the wasted fuel, and man-hours and just the time in general wasted for what everyone knew was a foregone conclusion. Had the enemy leaders chosen to negotiate or surrender, they wouldn't have been here. Had Emperor Molt not snapped and tried to destroy everything, they wouldn't have been in such a predicament, where they were in control, but everything felt like a waste of time as they tried to avoid unnecessary loss of life.

That included assisting in taking care of a certain monster far away and allying with an inexperienced princess and a few senators.

But his job wasn't to worry about such things. Ultimately, he was indifferent to the ongoing situation, other far more important things on his mind.

Specifically, a certain tribe.

"Tell me about shapeshifters..." he said out loud as the planes flew away.

Lelei La Lalena was sitting comfortably on the jeep the soft breeze blowing her cyan hair in such a way her eyes were never obstructed as she read a book labeled, "Physics".

She asked, "Is that why you brought me out here?"

Trent coldly replied with "Correct. Far enough from our base, so odds of spies overhearing our conversation are low, and-"

"And it's isolated enough that you can see people coming. Understandable..." she said, placing the book on her lap and looking up at the CIA Agent.

Silence for a moment, as if the girl was considering things.

"What do you want to know?" the young girl then asked, the Military Police escort accompanying them keeping his M2 Carbine well in hand.

The girl didn't necessarily distrust the man who worked for the American government, but as the young leader of the nation had acted around him, it was more than a little clear to Lelei that these Americans were not angels or demons or any form of "superior" beings. She was dealing with humans, same as her, which made them equally fallible and equally dangerous. As the aircraft above flew out of earshot, she knew very well these humans were more advanced and intelligent in some aspects, but the young girl wasn't so naïve as to believe that just because these people were advanced, they were all friendly or meant well. Especially not after seeing the clear division and tension between the nation's leader and his own military.

Humans are still humans, regardless of the time... however...

Trent sat back down, not looking at the girl, he asked "You're a bookworm. A prodigy I'd argue... do you know anything of the shapeshifters in this land?"

Lelei tilted her head.

"Mostly rumors, sir."

"Yeah, I figured as much, but see... the problematic situation my people are finding themselves under..." his hands reached and grasped at the air, as if he was hunting for the proper words, before saying "well, we know they exist. But we don't know enough to know how they function or how we can counter them."

Lelei nodded, and with little interest said "I see. You hope I have been able to understand how something from my world works now that I have some more knowledge available to me."

Trent grinned that eerie smile of his that made Lelei feel uncomfortable, and the same appeared to apply to the nearby MPs, who she noticed eyed the man with disapproval.

"Exactly. You've lived in this world; you know how it works or what things do... now that you have access to our information..."

She nodded, and simply said "Radio."

Trent blinked.

"Radio."

She repeated assuming he had misheard her.

"You... want to talk-?"

She shook her head.

"Your tests on this world's magic have mostly been inconclusive, however, there is one thing that is conclusive on certain types of magic, specifically..."

She reached over with her left hand, and the aviators lifted from Trent's face, revealing his blue eyes before floating onto Lelei's.

Trent frowned.

"I, alongside many wizards, can utilize telekinetic abilities to reach for things. This is related to my understanding of the world around me... in doing so, however..."

She flipped the Jeep's radio on, and the aviators floated back onto Trent, who quickly grabbed the shades from the air.

He turned to the radio and noticed the subtle interference it picked up when Lelei used her ability.

He then turned to her and said "Using mind magic messes with our communications, but how does that help us?"

"How do you think a shapeshifter shapeshifts?"

Trent shrugged, saying "My guess was that they're like chameleons."

Lelei said "Chameleons can change color to better blend into their ecosystem... shapeshifters can completely hide their presence from others if the rumors hold. If one were to be hiding in the grass and we knew it was there, we could probably find it or make it out, but that isn't possible for your men. Plus, they knew how to speak English..."

Trent nodded slowly, realizing where she was going with things.

"Huh... that... that gives us options... good job, kid."

He spoke, deep in thought as he stood up and looked back at the mountain.

"It is merely a theory given the information you have given me."

"Yeah, but it's better than nothing."

No one spoke.

Lelei then asked, "What will happen to the forest?"

Trent only said "Give it a few days... there isn't going to be a forest for our enemies..."

Then, turning to the driver, said "Alright, take us back... better get this message to the guys at the capital... as well as carry out a few tests."

Imperial Capital

10:00 AM

She chewed on the loaf of bread she had stolen, observing the growing crowd of civilians as the city appeared to have returned to some degree of normality.

"I hear the Imperial Army is finally going to push out of the Capital and force the enemy back."

"Keep dreaming. I hear the enemy is fighting against some imperial forces in the mountains, which means they never stopped at Italica."

"Just give me the bread."

She shook her head and wiped her face, standing back up.

She felt the presence then and quickly whirled around.

"It's just me, warrior. Relax."

She refused to relax but didn't strike.

Bouro calmly placed the wrapped-up blade down.

"Here, I had to do quite a bit of digging to get this."

"Good." came the angry reply as the girl picked up the blade and looked it over.

Bouro said, "I've noticed you've stayed here... when exactly do you plan on making a move?"

"Soon... what exactly are... her usual activities?" she asked, with a hint of disgust.

Bouro said "She's usually in the palace. Living it up, assisting the emperor in some areas... the day you decide to kill her I can get you to-"

"I want to see her and I want her to see me when she dies."

Bouro was silent.

The fallen warrior added "She is responsible for the deaths of countless people, including my family... she doesn't get to live. I'll kill her, don't you worry..."

Bouro sighed, but snuck away, more pressing issues at hand.

A moment later he was in his home again, two individuals sitting down on the floor.

Bouro approached them and asked "So?"

"Unfortunately, all we know is that if you pull on this pin and throw it, it will explode... we have no idea what it's made of, how to acquire the materials, or how to make the explosions larger as we saw at Itálica and Alnus."

Bouro groaned before also sitting on the floor.

The three individuals were silent.

Finally, he clapped his hands together and said "Well, ladies, unfortunately for us, we are out of time. The Americans are fully prepared to annihilate the forces of Tiberius, our little ally in the palace has done too good a job maintaining Zorzal from figuring things out, and it seems that Princess Pina will take the throne in a limited fashion... I believe that today is the day we choose our final course."

Silence reigned yet again.

Warning Tiberius would be pointless.

The Americans were dug in all over the Dumas Mountain range, so any head-on attack would fail eventually.

The best the Haryo Tribe could hope for was to sabotage the Americans just enough to force them to grant some negotiations. There was no way they could win against them, but perhaps they could get what they wanted.

"Kucy, you know how to operate this... grenade?"

The massive, furry creature nodded slowly, speaking entirely through its mind.

"Yes, I recently came across a form that may allow me to get closer to the Americans... close enough to throw this and kill several of them. I could also finish off the rest and be back here, though I will assume that they would have used their weapons on me by then."

Bouro nodded, saying "Unfortunately that is a likely scenario... given the number of Demi-humans near them, is it also possible at least one of them will sense something off about you?"

"Yes, but this form I... acquired... it shouldn't bring suspicion."

Boro's working eye went wide as he realized something. It was only known to those who could shapeshift, but while those who had been born with the ability to bend the minds of those around them, it wasn't possible to change appearances until they had stolen the form of another person. He wondered if Kucy was implying that she had killed an American already, but then he realized another possibility.

"You found a child that you could use?"

"Indeed. I had to hunt her for quite some time, but I have her... she was a little werewolf child. That dog-child that spends her time with the Americans shouldn't bother me, and most of the demi-humans in the Red-Light District are so out of touch I doubt they will notice."

Bouro nodded. The Americans seemed to be rather protective of children, which was something they could use against them.

"Good... that's good. Norra, what about you?"

The second shapeshifter in the room scratched the inside of her cat-like ears, saying "I can probably kill anyone you ask me to."

Bouro sighed, asking "Then we are all in agreement that we will try to force the Americans to some kind of... stalemate?"

Kucy's monstrous teeth glistened as she grinned.

Nora only said "There really is no other option, is there? If the Americans' plans go perfectly, we'll be, at best, ordinary citizens. Our tribe has been working to achieve grandeur for too long to lose it all now."

"Indeed... indeed..."

"But it begs the question... what do you plan to do with Tyuule? She's probably our biggest threat right now."

Warrior Bunnies were the only race that could effectively, almost supernaturally, detect the shapeshifters of the Empire. Oh, surely some other races could perhaps sense them, but the Warrior Bunnies, in particular, were almost like an alarm bell.

Bouro said "As much as I would like to have her, I have a plan in motion. If killing her fails... then we break her."

"And the American she's with?"

Bouro said "He dies... if not tomorrow, then the day the emperor makes his move, but he cannot be allowed to protect Tyuule. That girl was working with us because she had no other help, but with him and the resources the Americans can bring..."

He ground his teeth in anger.

Everything would have worked if the Americans weren't so adamant about destroying the Empire he wanted to rule.

But to add insult to injury by stealing away the girl he had been working for years to make his own?

Beyond unacceptable.

"We must stop them. No matter what the cost. This Empire... these people... they will feel our presence and bow before it!"

10:00 PM

"No, I haven't noticed any radio interference, but... I suppose we can check."

Tyuule was looking over the book when Dennis said "Hey, think you can call Bouro in here for a minute?"

She only nodded, calling "Bouro, are you there?"

There was nothing but silence for a few seconds before the slimy voice came from underneath the table.

Dennis frowned, just barely able to see the pig-like humanoid.

"Yes, lady Tyuule?"

"The Americans want to perform some tests. Cooperate with them." came the command as Tyuule continued studying the book.

Bouro glanced at Dennis.

The young American said, "Can you become invisible to me?"

"Certainly... why?"

"We just want to test something here."

Dennis noticed how the creature's singular functioning eye appeared to narrow before he vanished.

Over the radio, the subtlest, almost imperceptible spike in static was heard.

"Again, please?" Dennis asked.

Again, the nearly imperceptible change.

"Thank you, Bouro."

"What exactly-?"

"Oh, I think you have a pretty decent idea... by the way, have you tracked down our culprit?"

In the shadows, Bouro clenched his jaw, hiding his disgust with the Americans' abilities.

"Unfortunately, she is quite adept at hiding." he half-lied.

"Unacceptable," Tyuule said. No anger, no frustration, pure disinterest it seemed, as if she was merely stating a fact, such as "the sky is blue" or "Dennis has brown hair".

Bouro said "I'm searching myself. It's as if she has left no trace. It's possible she stole the weapon and plans on selling it somewhere."

"But if she shows up in the city, you'll know, right? You have eyes and ears everywhere, right?" Dennis asked, not even bothering to hide his mistrust.

Bouro only said, "I'm not a god, sir."

He didn't appreciate how the American seemed to look down on him, but instead of insulting him or attacking him in some way, Dennis only said "Yeah... yeah, but we need to find that grenade. Fast."

"I'm working on it."

Tyuule only said "Good. Bring us results."

Bouro said "Yes, my queen." and vanished into the shadows.

As Dennis relayed the information, Tyuule went back to eyeing the young man.

Dennis hid the radio and saw her looking at him.

"You alright?" he asked in English.

With a twitch of her ears, she asked "What do you think of me?"

Just as quickly, Dennis replied, "I think you're amazing, especially given all you do."

She sighed as if disappointed by the answer, turning back to the language book.

Noticing her frustration, as well as realizing his own, Dennis said "Alright... look... we're on a mission... I understand... but pretty soon we won't be on one anymore."

"Correct."

She spoke, matter-of-factly.

"So... look here..." he said, waving his hand.

Tyuule slowly turned to look at him, and Dennis did his best to ignore the sadness in her eyes.

Determined to push on, he said "Once this mission is over... there's something I have to tell you. Haven't told you about it yet. Can't tell you about it right now either, so don't bother asking."

Tyuule frowned.

"However, once the mission is over and we're both safe, I'll tell you."

"What's that going to do for me?" she asked with a huff.

Dennis shrugged, saying "Maybe give you something to look forward to after? Like, I want to go on leave and eat a genuine American burger once we get back... the nice, juicy type that Alex, God bless him, just can't replicate... see? Something to look forward to." Dennis said, forcing a smile.

It was hard to have something to look forward to on leave if you had no one to return to.

Tyuule eyed him for a moment, noticing the young man's awkwardness, but not commenting on it.

"Right... I won't be here tomorrow. His Majesty wants me to accompany him to inspect the coming reinforcements. Stay out of trouble, alright?" she said then, turning away.

Dennis said "Understood. I'll probably stay out of the palace for the day, maybe check on Charlotte."

Turning to face him again, she said "Tell... tell Charlotte to behave, too."

Dennis felt a warm smile creep on his face as he said "Yeah... I'll tell her. Good n-"

With a sharp breath, Tyuule stepped outside before he finished his sentence, shutting the door quickly.

She sat on the floor, covering her ears, shutting her eyes tightly. Her mind was a whirlwind as it tried to gather her thoughts and emotions.

On the one hand, the American was clearly trying to give her hope of a future.

On the other hand, she didn't deserve any future.

She only wanted the destruction of the empire, nothing more. She would even die happily if it meant the people who betrayed her died. Someone else could lead her people. Why should they stop hating her? She messed up. She surrendered. She gave up. Even if she had sacrificed herself, she had been selfish and cowardly.

She deserved everything that had happened to her.

Even her revenge was too much to ask, and she was only carrying it out because it would also avenge her fallen family.

Briefly, she wondered what her parents would say.

Mother... father...

Images of her family enjoying a nice dinner before the invasion pushed into her mind.

Damn it all!

Dennis opened the door, rubbing his face, unamused.

He saw her on the floor, and they made eye contact, her sad eyes on the verge of tears.

Perhaps in a film he would have picked her up and done something romantic, but...

"Tyuule?" he asked, worried.

She stood up, her face contorted as if in pain, her quickly saying "Mission first... please..."

Dennis nodded slowly.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't want to pursue her further then, and he nervously reached for her, but in response she stepped back, her head lowering.

"Please... please let me focus..." she whispered.

Dennis stood at the door for a second, frozen.

"Alright."

In response she turned around and ran off, disappearing down the hall.

Part of him wanted to chase after her and he took the very first step out of his room before a voice in the back of his head echoed in his mind and froze him in place.

You'll lose it all and gain nothing.

Dennis swallowed as he stood there.

He'd become emotionally attached to her.

It wasn't that she was a pretty face anymore, after the death and violence he had seen in his month of service, he genuinely wanted to keep her safe.

His heart began to pound on his chest as he realized the danger of the situation once more, his mind going back to the new bruises he had seen on her neck, and he had to commend himself by limiting how far this "relationship" would go now that he had drawn a line in the sand.

Once this mission is over... there's something I have to tell you.

Tell her what?

"Let's go out on a real date?"

Was the previous one not a real one?

He felt his nails dig into his palms as he shook his head.

There was a lot of work to do before he could even consider that, and a part of him wondered how far he would take it even if he did succeed.

She's a savage in the end, right?

The thought lingered in his mind for a moment before he dashed it away, shaking his head.

No... if anything, she's the only normal person this side of the gate I've met.

He shut the door and went to bed.

His eyes kept popping open in the night and he couldn't help but feel a degree of frustration.

Lying on his side on an already uncomfortable bed, he began literally counting sheep and trying to fall asleep.

His problem wasn't lack of sleep, but fear, not that he would admit it.

April 30th, 1964

Outskirts of the Imperial Capital

The men continued marching much to Zorzal's delight. Their armor was clean, their shields formation impenetrable, their blades sharpened, and their form perfect.

Here he was, a true born leader, watching his followers do as told, ready to dominate the enemy and force them back across that accursed gate!

He glanced at his price from his previous victory, and...

Oh, why does she look so melancholy these days?! Oh, how can I get some more energy into her eyes?

He grinned then, an idea flashing into his mind.

Turning to her, he said "Isn't it marvelous, Tyuule? Soon, my army will conquer these Americans like I did your people!"

Tyuule appeared bored, but in response she smiled, saying "I'm certain your victories will be great your majesty."

Zorzal felt like groaning but didn't as General Rufus approached him, followed by several men.

"Emperor, here are the generals you selected."

"Great! Men, good men, I have wonderful news! Soon, we shall push the enemy beyond the Gate!"

As Zorzal went on to butcher the speech he had likely spent all of five minutes writing, Tyuule studied the generals and frowned.

One of them looked far too competent.

The other generals appeared bored, almost perturbed by the speech Zorzal was giving, too used to a cushy life up in the east. But this one was patiently listening, likely genuinely!

"...our forefathers created this through conquest and we shall continue this! General, what is your name?!"

"Borhos, your majesty!"

"A good name! A strong name! You shall lead two legions... and you?"

Borhos... I'll keep that name in mind...

Briefly, she considered having the Haryo disappear him, but...

She remembered the messenger she had killed with a pang of regret, especially given the kindness that was now being shown to her.

Back then no one had helped her. Even Bouro was only helping her based on the fact that he wanted her body.

But Dennis Orville was actively trying to help her in more ways than one, and despite how often she tried pushing him away, he kept trying to be kind to her.

I don't deserve-

"So, Tyuule... what do you think?"

Snapping back to reality, she said "An excellent decision, your majesty."

"Yes... yes, it is... now, you men go ahead, I would like some time alone with my little bunny."

One of the generals gaped at the statement.

Zorzal then said "Oh, yes, my little bunny... I do not discriminate and neither should you! Come, Tyuule!"

"Yes, your majesty!" she replied, awkwardly moving the horse behind his.

As they moved after the marching army, Zorzal said "This takes me back, back to before... oh, is it not wonderful, Tyuule?"

"Wonderful?"

"The power that is in an army, an army you control... it gives you the power to do so much with just your word..."

She would be lying if the way Zorzal was talking didn't worry her, but she couldn't show it.

Instead, she said, "I suppose I don't know enough to tell..."

Zorzal laughed, saying "Of course you don't, you were as much of a savage as the rest of your people when I defeated you! But father... oh, father... father taught me the importance of armies since I was a child."

"I... see."

Still smiling, Zorzal said, "You know father always took me with him?"

Yes...

"I always found the way our armies simply... rolled on through everything and everyone so... amazing... that is power. The power to control your opponents with nothing but a good sword and a spear. Those cowardly Americans and their cowardly machines of war..."

He spat on the ground.

"They know nothing! They don't understand how to properly dominate a people!"

He grinned cruelly as he said, "Oh, this will surely show them that they never stood a chance, worthy an opponent as they might have been!"

He then turned to Tyuule, saying "You should hope they have no queens or women in their armies... I feel like this conquest will make your defeat little more than a footnote."

Tyuule smiled and said, "An Emperor like you deserves only the best."

"Indeed. Indeed, I do!"

Tyuule observed the young emperor continue.

Again, she found herself feeling a pang of regret.

Why?!

As she pondered this, she remembered her own upbringing.

Her parents never forced or pushed her to train alongside soldiers. In fact, what training she got was almost entirely from her father.

She had never had to see the conquests of her family because her family was focusing on defense and never had time to conquer other tribes, and she never saw a Warrior Tribe raid another in her time, only seeing violence when it was her turn to rule.

But Molt dragged Zorzal to all his imperial conquests.

At this, a painful realization hit her.

Just what does constantly seeing war and conquest do to a person?

What does constantly seeing war and conquest do to a child?

In a way, Zorzal was little more than a product of his father, but...

As she rode after him, her eyes drifted to the ground, a sense of shame creeping over her, something that hadn't happened before when dealing with the lascivious prince turned emperor.

That doesn't make what he did good... nor does it make my actions good...

Deep down, a strange feeling began to manifest.

An odd sensation of... acceptance?

No.

Guilt...

Imperial Capital

"Den-is... Den-is."

Charlotte repeated "Dennis!"

"Good..." Dennis said, handing her another cracker.

Sean walked away from their hideout and said "So it's true Zorzal's gathering his army?"

"Yup. About time... hopefully, we can go home soon." came the clearly tired reply.

"Home!" Charlotte barked back in English.

Dennis patted her head, an exhausted smile on his face.

"You're not planning on...?"

"Maybe I am. Way I see it, Alnus is cleaner and better for kids than everything here."

He spoke not directly answering what his fellow Ranger was implying.

I don't think I can adopt her...

"What about Tyuule? You ask her to marry you yet?"

It was Charlotte who recognized the word and jumped to repeat and ask "Marry? Who-? Eek!"

Dennis tugged at the little girl's ears before answering Sean.

"That's none of your business. Both of you."

Sean raised his hands, saying "Of course, of course... watch yourself, her teeth are already-"

"Ah!" Dennis yelped, seeing Charlotte had bit his arm and was promptly teething on it like any breed of puppy would.

Dennis huffed, pulling at her ear again, saying "You don't bite people, you don't bite people."

Charlotte let go and pouted, muttering as she covered her ears.

"What?"

"...no..." she said, pointing to her droopy dog ears.

Dennis replied by saying "Hey, a tug on the ears is much better than getting spanked for biting my arm, don't you think?"

Again, she pouted.

Unimpressed, Dennis began pulling at her cheeks, saying "Keep making that face, it'll freeze like that."

Sean only replied with "Won't that scare her?"

"Didn't scare me. I behaved."

"Sure you did."

Little Charlotte then stopped pouting and turned her head, her ears perking up in alert, her tail going tense, and her head lowering slightly, as if suspicious.

"What's wrong?" Dennis asked.

The kid only pointed to the nearby alley.

Tom was walking nearby, shouldering the M60 as if he were crucified on it, so Dennis quickly pointed and said "Hey, Tom, anything over by the alley?"

Tom glanced with a shrug and then, tilting his head slightly, appeared confused.

"Uh... Yeah, there's a little kid watching us. Never seen her before."

The small child's head popped from the corner of the alley and hid back again just as quickly.

"One of your friends?" Sean asked, kneeling to her level.

The little girl only continued to stare at the alleyway.

Dennis hadn't ever really owned a dog himself, but he'd seen guys working with dogs before, and he knew for a fact when dogs were suspicious of something, their tails went tense like that. Whether or not that applied to demi-humans was beyond him, but...

Before he could formulate the thought, the child appeared from the alley.

What the hell?

She was naked, clearly younger than Charlotte, though the infant was clearly able to walk. Unlike most of the demi-humans the Rangers had seen, most with some mild animal features on their otherwise human bodies, this child was covered in dark fur, her face and hands being the only real human thing about her.

"Oh, geez... I'll... I'll go get her a blanket or... something." Sean said, startled by the appearance.

The little girl Dennis was holding began to growl in a very dog-like manner then.

"What's wrong?"

Charlotte pointed again and said "Bad!"

Tom walked over with a huff, saying "Maybe she's been with us too long, turned into some kind of supremacist."

Dennis stood up, holding Charlotte's hand, saying "Tom, anyone behind her?"

Tom glanced, saying "Not that I could see."

Dennis frowned, feeling that something wasn't right, but not quite able to put his finger on it.

The little girl took a step forward, out of the alley.

Charlotte began to growl and shout in the local tongue.

"Go away!" she said loudly.

Switching to the local tongue, Dennis asked "Who are you?"

The kid didn't answer, asking instead, "F-food?"

"No, go away!" Charlotte yelled in reply.

Tom sighed, saying "Oi, just because she's different-"

"Tom, that's not it... Alex? Hey, Alex?!" Dennis called, his eyes wide, not a little panicked.

Tom stared at the child, and the sense of wrongness finally came over him.

Despite the meek voice, despite the small size, and worse of all, despite the harmless demeanor... something about the way the girl was staring at him felt wrong. Her eyes were cat-like, which wasn't exactly strange, but they didn't look like any of the kids he had seen before. There was no curiosity, no fear, no humanity.

It was too much like an animal.

At this, he lowered the M60 so that it was ready to fire, keeping his finger off the trigger, but eyes on the girl.

Alex peered out the window, asking "What is it?"

"Got a radio on hand?"

At the mention of the American invention, the little girl retreated into the alley.

"H-hey! Get back... here?" Tom almost ran after her but stopped before entering the alley.

The girl had vanished into the shadows like a ghost.

"Tom, you see her?!"

"No, she... you don't think-?"

Dennis turned to Charlotte, quickly saying "Charlotte, go inside. Inside! Now!"

He urged her into their hideout, moving behind her, hand reaching for the .45 as the little girl obediently moved with him.

Alex suddenly shouted from the second floor.

"Tom! Tom! Left roof! Left roof!"

The machine gunner looked up immediately and turned the roof, shouldering it like a rifle, firing off a short burst the second he saw the shadow hop to the next building and duck.

As bullets went right into her cover, Kucy angrily tore the pin from the American weapon as she had understood it was done. A second part of the weapon fell then, and she wasn't sure if she had done it properly, but it didn't matter.

That damned dog was far keener than I anticipated... damn it all!

She threw the weapon and discarded her changed form to attack.

"GRENADE! GRENADE!" she heard the shout.

Dennis only saw the tiny explosive fall from the roof and land nearby.

He was at the door, pushing it open.

His body froze up, his words got caught in his mouth, a brief cough coming up in their stead as his training conflicted his immediate instinct of getting the kid out of the way.

Charlotte had only turned in confusion at the noise, though clearly, she was scared in her own right, she pushed through the door.

Dennis took a step forward then and threw himself to the floor, tackling Charlotte and doing his best to shield her.

The grenade went off in the middle of the open ground between the Ranger's hideout and the other buildings. That had been done on purpose when taking a building, as the open area made it a touch easier for the American weapons to mop up anyone trying to get close, and fragmentation grenades could be more unobstructed.

Unfortunately, it appeared the Haryo tribe was interested in using this against the Americans.

The explosion wasn't fiery as it was more like a loud puff of smoke, albeit one that hid deadly shrapnel that flew off in every direction, and without cover, the only salvation would be to try and be as small as possible.

Had the grenade been thrown by a trained soldier, the damage would have been far greater, but as Tom began standing up, noting he was unhurt, it was clear the most damage had been done to the surrounding buildings, as small holes had been made where the shrapnel had hit.

Kucy wasn't planning on letting them recover, though.

Dennis could feel his ear ringing as he felt rather than heard the gunfire from Tom's M60.

The man was still holding it like a rifle, firing into the rooftops in full auto, shell casings littering the floor beneath him, but the American was more concerned about something else.

Charlotte was holding her ears, whimpering in pain.

Other than that, she seemed unhurt, but...

He took a quick breath, said: "You're okay, you're okay, come on-"

"Dennis!"

He whirled around, his face contorting in disgust and terror at the creature lumbering towards him.

It was massive, about seven feet tall and four feet wide. Its head was cat-like, its eyes were yellow, and its claws...

Damn!

Dennis clutched Charlotte close and rushed inside.

"Sean, get the shotgun!" he yelled, the monster trying to squeeze through the door behind him, wailing in pain as Tom now had a clean shot and began riddling the monster with 7.62 NATO rounds.

Sean jumped down the stairs, saying "I see her, I see her..."

He loaded the Ithaca Model 37 with a loud *CLACK* and aimed at the monster.

"Ears!" Dennis told the girl, who obediently covered them as Dennis put his hands over them as well.

The shapeshifter wasn't done yet, and she began trying to change in front of the Americans to mess with their weapon's aim. She wasn't wholly sure she could make them hesitate, but her face quickly changed to a more innocent, less terrifying one.

Sean winced but keeping his aim steady, he fired, the slug piercing into Kucy's skull, liquifying her eye and part of her brain, the sound from the gun firing drowning out even the cracks from the M60 firing outside.

Yet somehow, it didn't kill her.

Sean readied another shot when she finally burst in, falling to the floor, Tom staring in horror behind, the impression being that his bullets had done nothing as the monster began to get up despite everything.

Dennis switched to the M1911 then, unloading the .45 ACP rounds into the furry beast, something she seemed to ignore, but clearly slowed her down. The youngest of the Rangers took heavy breaths as the slide on his handgun locked back, empty after the 7 rounds that would have dropped any normal man but seemed to only annoy the monster.

However, it was something else entirely that had him shaking now, but he forced himself to take his hands off the little girl and put in the second magazine into the M1911 as Sean fired again and Tom took a few shots on his own.

Kucy appeared to ignore the men firing at her and lumbered towards the left side of the room, her claws reaching out for the wall before crashing into it and collapsing, blood spilling onto the floor.

"Orville, get her out. Now!" Sean commanded.

Dennis picked Charlotte up and began moving away from the entrance, preferring to hop out a window or something, anything than getting closer to that thing. Charlotte tightly holding on to his neck. He stared at the shaking girl, only a bit of blood on her face had splattered from the creature, which went to show just how much damage they were doing at such close a range.

Dennis swallowed, not reacting as he stood up and turned his attention to Tom as he got inside, pointing the M60 at the monster.

No one spoke.

The creature then appeared to stop breathing.

Both Rangers then fired several more rounds into the creature's head, snapping into pieces.

Charlotte screamed at the sound; despite being shielded from the carnage, she had already seen enough, and the thought disturbed the Ranger.

After a moment of eerie stillness, Tom asked "Is it dead?"

Using the Model 37's barrel, Sean poked the creature with it.

No movement from the corpse.

Both Rangers sucked in a breath.

"W-what... the bloody hell?" Tom said, kicking the large corpse.

"Is it dead?!..." Alex ran downstairs, shouting, M16 on hand, magazines on the other.

"I think so..." Sean said with a horrified expression.

The bullets had torn her apart. It wasn't like a B-movie monster that could just shrug away at the damage modern weapons caused. It had been effectively ripped to pieces, some of its limbs barely holding on by a thread of mangled flesh, muscle, and fur, a hole in its head that continued dripping blood, and large holes in the back and front emptied the fluids like a punctured barrel of water, almost like a cartoon character. Except cartoons never left the smell of blood and gunpowder in the wake of their, usually comedic, shootouts.

"That's a member of the Haryo tribe. It has to be." Dennis breathed out after a few seconds.

She... it...wasn't exactly like Bouro as it had two eyes and far more fur, but it was clearly a shapeshifter.

Tom turned to Alex, saying "Radio it in... Captain should... be informed... Lord Almighty..."

He shakily crossed himself.

Alex quickly went back upstairs, Sean turning to Dennis, glancing at the lifeless body nearby, then back to the young Ranger.

Dennis didn't move his eyes from the blood and focused on the smell of gunpowder.

"It's okay... it's okay..." he said aloud, trying to comfort the shaking child as well as himself.

An image of his mom doing the same for him when he was her age shot into his mind, and he suppressed his own worries out of necessity.

He couldn't afford to break now.

11:33 AM

"You alright?" Rhodes asked then, having arrived from a simple patrol alongside the other Rangers in the Capital.

Dennis was sitting outside the hideout, staring into nothing.

He didn't reply right away, still holding the little girl, who appeared to have fallen asleep.

"I asked you if you're alright."

"I-I'm fine, captain... just a little... a little shaken... ears are still ringing a bit, but I'm fine!" he added quickly.

Had the hideout not been nearly deserted the damage could have easily resulted in casualties, but given the kid's reaction, she may have been a casualty already.

Rhodes allowed a pained expression as he tried to say something, but Dennis said "We need to find out if Bouro or... or someone ordered this... right?"

Rhodes nodded, slowly.

Nervously, Dennis turned to the little girl, not moving from where he sat, Sean, approaching with the winged woman.

"You good to walk?" he whispered, forcing a smile as the little girl's eyes fluttered open.

Charlotte didn't say anything.

Misery asked, "She's unhurt?"

Dennis only replied by frowning slightly, unsure.

Misery got closer and asked "Little one?"

Charlotte only turned shakily to the winged woman, who offered her hand.

The little girl pulled away from Dennis and ran to Misery.

Sean said, "Misery, about-"

"We're not abandoning our homes just yet, American... but I do think we should begin sending the children away... clearly it's not safe here, and for once we have the option to leave."

"Exactly."

Dennis didn't say anything.

"You should be happy you gave the children here an opportunity..."

Still no reply.

"It's more than I ever had... come along, little one."

Charlotte followed the woman closely, not looking back.

Sean said "Hey... with her out of the way we can focus on other things, right? End things sooner."

"Yeah..." came the tired reply as Dennis stood up.

He didn't speak as Rhodes gave orders, only half-listening.

While he doubted that Tyuule knew and said nothing, whether Bouro knew and said nothing was a different matter. He needed to ask, because their presence in the capital had been well hidden from the Empire, and if the crime lords hadn't betrayed them, then there was only one reason the Haryo were there.

The question is, how far did they go?

"Alright, see what you can find out, alright? Sean, keep an eye on him, if we need to extract, we do it."

Dennis only gave an affirmative nod.

He didn't speak more than he had to as Sean escorted him back.

He only looked at his arm to check the time on his watch to remember he wasn't carrying his wristwatch.

Why am I so distracted?

He finally said, "I'll see if I can word back to you guys by tonight."

"Take care."

"Yeah, watch yourself..."

He shook his head, reminding himself where he was, noticing the older praetorian was eyeing him, he moved to his room. Once there he closed the door and sat down on his bed, where he refused to move for a moment before eventually collapsing on his side and falling asleep.

He woke up with a start seconds later.

He couldn't sleep.

Not after all of that.

The ideas circling in his mind, the possibilities and potentials that could have happened.

Dennis couldn't think about them all, yet in the silence of his room, he had no choice.

He briefly considered stepping outside but chose against it.

I can handle this... I qualified... I qualified...

The image of his smiling parents briefly flashed in his mind, a dark reminder of his situation.

His jaw clenched, but he forced himself to sit up and glare at the walls, knowing exactly what he would do once he got access to a certain tribal leader and supposed ally.

6:00 PM

Dennis's eyes finally moved to the small "window" in his room.

The shadows were beginning to overtake the light of the sun, and soon he would have to light some candles, but as the room continued to darken, he decided to do his job there and then. Odds were, the monster knew about his presence already, and presumably could feel his own mind in a way, so he decided to try and see if he would respond.

Gritting his teeth, he quietly said "Bouro... get out here..."

He waited for a second... half wondering if he would need to call it again or storm out and cause a scene.

"Yes?"

The voice quickly came from behind him, and his immediate reaction was to whirl around, grab the creature with both arms and slam him into the wall with as much strength as he could muster.

"W-what is the meaning of-?" it began, but Dennis only grabbed the Colt and flipped its safety off with an audible *click*, keeping it steady on hand, aimed at the floor, finger off the trigger, but more than ready to make that change should he desire it. He wasn't stupid enough to aim the weapon at the thing he needed to question... not yet, at least.

"What... happened?" Dennis asked in a calm tone, though Bouro could sense nothing but a danger in the young man's voice that made his own blood run cold.

"W-what?" he managed to reply.

"Tell me what happened today."

"I was not here. I was with lady Tyuule and the Emperor observing the new generals!"

"Oh, how convenient..."

"Soldier, what is the meaning of this?"

"You shapeshifting lot... you think you can betray us?"

"I-I don't understand."

"I'm sure you don't..."

Dennis listened to the voice for a few seconds, trying to judge if it was honest or not.

He couldn't.

Knowing it didn't really matter anymore, he released the creature and holstered his weapon.

"Go. Find out what happened and explain to me why it happened."

Bouro steadied himself, staring at the American in confusion.

"Just find out what happened... my superiors need to know as soon as possible... please..." he added weakly.

Bouro stood up and slowly said "Of course... I will... I will look into... whatever happened."

"You have until tomorrow morning."

With that the creature vanished, leaving Dennis alone in the darkening room.

He hated it.

He hated it all.

You should be happy you gave the children here an opportunity.

"I didn't... I didn't... do anything..." he whispered to himself, the words carrying deeper connections than he had intended.

As the shadows began to darken further, Dennis sat on the bed, shakily covering his face as he suppressed the urge to scream as he began to play the events of his life in his head.

I didn't do anything when my dad died... I didn't do anything when mom died... I haven't done...

He hadn't allowed himself to grieve. Too busy with becoming the supposed war hero his father would have wanted to become once.

But he hadn't.

He hadn't been a war hero, saving civilians and pushing back enemy forces, he had killed and shot his way through countless men who couldn't even shoot back. He hadn't saved any civilians; he had just killed those who would have likely not caused a problem if he wasn't there, to begin with. He hadn't heroically stopped the leader of the enemy nation; he had allowed him to continue abusing a girl who had quickly become the one person...

The thought stopped there, and he covered his face.

He was on the verge of breaking down when footsteps from outside stopped him as they reminded him, he wasn't back home and he could die at any moment.

It was an odd sensation.

Exhaustion and a sense of want he couldn't act on.

Like a good soldier, he swallowed his grief once more, and after some effort, he managed to relax. The sound of the grenade going off reminded him of how he had nearly died to the inhuman creatures that invaded Itálica, had it not been for a mortar round landing nearby. He knew the memories would, unfortunately, remain, forcing him to think about them against his will, but it didn't have to affect how he acted, and it most certainly didn't have to affect his mission performance.

I can handle this... I qualified...

He didn't sleep, repeating it to himself.

May 1st, 1964

Imperial Capital

9:00 AM

"Numb" was probably the most accurate way to describe how he felt, but it wasn't entirely accurate, either.

Dennis Orville slowly chopped up the vegetables, slowly pushed them on another plate, slowly took it to Chef Kelvin... and didn't react when the man slapped it to the floor.

"Again!" came the frustrating order.

Dennis didn't react to it, only turning back and starting over.

Clef on the other hand looked confused.

"Is something wrong with you on this particular day, son of Tobias?"

Dennis swallowed down his emotions, quickly turning and saying "No, sir."

The old man wasn't buying it, saying "You look out of it."

I am out of it...

Instead, he said "I guess I feel a little under the weather, but it's nothing I can't handle. Thank you for your concern."

He could feel all the eyes in the kitchen turning to stare at him.

The chef walked over, an almost disgusted expression on his face as he asked "If it's nothing you can't handle then why are you being less efficient?!"

Leave me alone already, you fat, barbaric, ass!

Instead, he said, "Apologies, I'll-"

The chef took the knife from his hand and shoved him away.

"Scram! Go do whatever it is you do in your free time!"

"Sir?"

"I'm giving you the day off, brat! I don't know what's wrong with you, but you are not going to ruin this night's dinner! You won't get paid for today, understood?!"

"Y-yes, sir..."

Thus, Dennis found himself sitting under a lonely tree in the gardens. The cool shade barely made an impact on the feelings of coldness that were plaguing him now, and neither did the grass he was sitting in poking past his kitchen uniform and occasionally jabbing at his skin.

His mind not really thinking of anything as he stared at the green grass, and then at the sky, and then at the tree behind him.

Same as back home...

He shook his head then, a memory of his mother happily waiting for him at the front porch, him enjoying a hot summer day by playing at a makeshift "pool" his mother had set up for him using a large tin and the garden hose being the intrusive thought that distracted him. Their house is pretty far from everything meant that he had to spend some days on his own, which wasn't a problem for the most part, and the happy memories had indeed been genuine, as had his mother's laugh.

However, as if to torment him further, he couldn't help but remember how loud his mother had screamed when news of his father's death arrived.

Why didn't I scream when she died?

Again, he shook his head, harder this time, forcing himself to bury the thoughts and memories away, the possibility of becoming vulnerable in enemy territory only adding to his resolve. He knew the time for screaming and all of that would come later, Mister Jones had guaranteed it, and despite not wanting to admit the older man was right, Dennis could only imagine how much he would need to "let out" once he was back home.

If I get back home...

Still, he resolved to stay calm and he managed to relax yet again. The effort becoming easier as time went on. But his regrets were still ever-present, and he couldn't avoid thinking about it.

Suddenly sensing someone behind him, he got up and angrily yelled "WHAT?!"

Bouro took a step back, hiding behind the opposite side of the tree.

"I only wish to apologize... I discovered it was one of my underlings who attacked your hideout..."

"We figured that out once we saw the disgusting, subhuman face you animals wear. The question is why she did it and whether or not you knew about it..." he added, darkly.

"No one can know why she did it. I did not know she planned this either. I did not intend for it to happen, nor did I order it. Kucy... she was acting on her own."

Silence.

"You can believe me or not, Orville, but we in the Haryo tribe... what's left of it... we value honor. I have no intention of betraying your people or Tyuule."

Dennis relaxed somewhat, saying "Doesn't matter if you do or not, we're stuck with you. And I have a commitment to her as well..."

There was an eerie silence then, all noise drowned out as the wind stopped and all animals nearby stopped their singing or chirping.

Bouro asked "Perhaps you should go back. The queen can handle this on her own, and-"

"Oh, you think I can't handle this?" he asked in what almost sounded like a chuckle as if mocking the statement.

"I never implied such a thing."

"Yeah? Well, listen here and listen well, I qualified, alright? I qualified where others didn't. I made it here, I didn't die, so don't tell me to call it quits now... okay?!" he spoke with a tone that implied madness, anger, and fear all at the same time; his voice cracking as he finished his inquiry.

Now it was Bouro who fell silent.

"Okay?!" Dennis repeated, anger refusing to dissipate.

Bouro briefly revealed himself, showing his one working eye, a disgusting, yellowish-green filled with what Dennis could only assume was pus and other signs the creature could barely see. Dennis didn't look away, staring at him without blinking.

Something about the eyes screamed that the creature was looking down on him, but neither of the two spoke for a moment.

Bouro finally said "Okay." in plain English and vanished into the shade like a chameleon.

Dennis remained on guard as he faintly heard the footsteps walking off in the grass, finally wincing when he felt a pang of pain on his palms.

Looking at his hands, he realized he'd buried his nails into his palm hard enough to cause it to bleed slightly.

Immediately he covered it up, eyes wide.

He nervously swallowed, as if realizing that he really did have a problem.

He sat back down against the tree and began to take deep breaths, doing his best to relax and ignore the echoes of the past.

He couldn't show it wasn't working.

What did work, were Bouro's facial muscles as they formed a mocking sneer.

The shapeshifter grinned, relishing in the emotional suffering of the American as well as the fact that his plan had, while not entirely succeeded, done enough to frighten the Americans.

Dennis would report back, the Americans would believe Bouro was still on their side, and that would be it.

Even without killing anyone, the toll of the battle had clearly taken a toll on the young man, which would make him less effective and less of a problem moving forward.

Now he had to focus on Tyuule, and with a grin, he continued with his plan.

10:00 PM

There was a serenity in it, he decided then.

"Aye... wood... Lie-eek-"

"Like. Lie, and a -Kuh- sound..."

Tyuule nodded, and in plain English, read "I... would... like... to know where the rest-room is."

"Excellent," Dennis muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"Ah... you're a terrible teacher." she sighed, stretching, smiling with an almost smug expression.

If she was a man, he would have cursed her out, but the more he looked at her...

He stayed silent.

She noticed something was bothering him, so she said "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for, I'm not exactly a language teacher, I'm a soldier."

She frowned, saying "Well, clearly you're upset about something. If it's not my mispronunciations... does my presence bother you today?"

He turned to look at her, tiredness in his eyes as he noticed new bruises on her neck.

"No. Trust me, you being here is..." he forced a smile which faded immediately.

He turned away, unable to look at her now.

"Your presence doesn't bother me at all... I don't mean to give that impression, ma'am."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Then why do you seem so out of it?"

"You don't know?" he asked her.

"Don't know what?"

"About the attack near our base?" he spoke in a low whisper.

Tyuule winced in surprise, saying "No, I hadn't heard anything about an attack."

"Doesn't Bouro tell you everything?"

She awkwardly said, "I haven't seen him today... the emperor was... busy with me."

Dennis briefly glanced at her thigh, noting the bruised skin, and he clenched his jaw, but quickly relaxed it.

He only said, "Oh, I see... so you haven't seen him since yesterday?"

"No... was anyone killed?"

Dennis only shook his head.

"Hurt then. Do... do you need a healer?"

"Nah, we're fine. In case he lies about it, apparently one of Boro's people went rogue for some reason. She used a grenade against us. We killed her before she could do any damage, and that was that."

She noticed the way he spoke was not unlike the reserved tone in those who were in mourning. Her frown subsided and she softened her tone.

"No one died?"

At this, the American only nodded again.

Tyuule noted the forlorn look in his eyes and connected the dots on her own.

"Then... why are you so... shaken?"

He huffed, almost laughing, saying "Shaken?"

She didn't reply, knowing he knew what she was getting at.

"I'm fine, just... brought up some bad memories is all. I'm fine..." he said, trying not to lie but not tell her everything just yet.

Tyuule didn't say anything, realizing what he was talking about.

Time passed, neither speaking.

Dennis eventually swallowed, saying "Alright... read the next line..."

The girl turned back to the table, a look of indifference returning.

I can't let him distract me... it's just how it is... if he's troubled then it isn't my problem to help him.

"Alright."

Dennis instead took the opportunity to observe her.

She really was beautiful the more he looked at her.

Wait... no... don't think like... that...

He couldn't stop looking at her as she slowly read the line in the book aloud, nor did he care to stop after everything. Why shouldn't he? What payment was he getting for all of this, anyway?

Okay, no, do NOT think like that!

With some willpower, he managed to turn his attention to his hands on the table.

Tyuule then said, "I don't mind if you watch me."

He slowly turned to look at her.

She took the chance to make eye contact and ask "Are you sure you're unhurt?"

He forced a smile, saying "Yeah, I'm alright. Just a little tired is all. Chef gave me the day off, but I didn't really have anything to do, so I'm just tired from walking aimlessly all day."

Tyuule frowned, saying "You could have visited me. I wouldn't mind."

Don't tempt me.

Dennis only chuckled slightly, saying "I know how busy you are, managing things, keeping our little alliance a secret... you're... amazing." he admitted, trying to sound positive.

Maybe overcompensating a touch.

Tyuule, however, couldn't help but widen her eyes at the praise.

Dennis continued, though, saying "I could never do what you do... honestly... I'd probably just lose it... crack up and..."

Lose it all and gain nothing.

He swallowed, realizing in how vulnerable a spot he was, and knowing damn well that he had to reign himself in until the mission was over.

But it was like he was aimlessly pushing on for something that no longer existed, and it was weighing more and more on him as he continued.

Is it even worth it?

Tyuule stared at him.

Finally, she frowned and decided to intervene.

"Dennis?"

"Ah?"

"Go to bed."

Dennis tiredly asked, "Why?"

She placed a hand on his forehead, saying "You're exhausted, maybe even feverish. You're not getting enough sleep."

"I-I can't sleep." he blurted out, the dam bursting just a bit.

"What?"

"I-I can't sleep! Every night for the past week I keep getting these... these..."

"Night terrors?" she finished for him.

He froze, staring at her crimson eyes that didn't seem to be judging him or even suggesting any emotions other than some concern for his wellbeing. As if she knew he couldn't fully open up about such issues because of the mission.

So, he only nodded shakily.

She said, "Go to bed."

"I-"

"My father had night terrors for some time after fighting an enemy tribe... I think I can help you here."

What?

"W-?"

"Don't ask stupid questions, I need you to function properly, right? And I won't do anything inappropriate so go on and get in bed."

"But how do you plan on-?"

"Question not!"

He blinked, still unsure.

Tyuule groaned, saying "My people have a song to soother those who have trouble sleeping. I'll hum it for you and see if it helps."

So... a lullaby?

Dennis stared at her with some degree of disbelief.

"Would you believe me if I told you our ability to hear better makes it easier for our songs to soothe?"

The same look of disbelief, although it seemed to have relaxed and gone down to mild skepticism.

She still didn't like it.

"Don't look at me like that, we both know what nightmares can do to the mind if not kept in check, so don't try to play tough, alright?"

Silence.

Neither spoke for a moment.

With a breath, Dennis spoke then.

"I'm... not playing tough."

"Splendid, then doing this shouldn't be too difficult, now should it?"

Dennis eyed her for another moment.

There wasn't much levity in her voice, so either she was a far greater actress than he gave her credit for, or she was dead serious.

He sighed and stood up, asking "What is it like a magical thing?"

"No, it's a... family... thing..."

He paused, considering it for a second.

What else did he have to lose?

"Alright..." he groaned as if she were pulling him along and he was just going along with it.

Tyuule ignored it, pulling her chair closer to his bed.

This is just to make sure he doesn't become a liability. Nothing more...

She crossed her arms, saying "Close your eyes, and try to sleep, alright?"

"...alright..." the American sighed.

Tyuule waited a moment, noting the young man's breathing had eased and relaxed.

She knew he wasn't asleep yet, but was at least comfortable. She then took a breath and began to hum the notes she remembered. Softly, to not disturb his sleep, as the lullaby was meant for warriors returning from war to their families, but he didn't have to know that. It had no words or anything as it was but a simple melody that reciprocated the feelings of the melancholy of those coming home, the same but not quite as she heard her mother hum to her father and at least once to her older brother.

Dennis felt his eyes shoot open at the melody but he didn't dare turn to look at her.

It was slow, hummed softly, though with perhaps a touch of apprehension, as if this was something the girl found almost childish, but he didn't care.

It was as if it transported him back in time.

Back to the safety of home, the warmth of his small family...

"Steve, I know you signed up for this, but-"

"But nothing. Tommy fought the fascists in Normandy, no reason I can't fight the commies in that God-forsaken peninsula." the young man in a military uniform replied with a half confident smile.

Then, noticing the young woman didn't appear any better, he gently placed his hand on her cheek, saying "Darling, if they taught me anything is that worrying doesn't help any. I'll write to you and this little bundle every day, I promise!"

Reassuring...

Turning to him and messing his hair, his father said "I need you to be tough, kiddo. Think you can do that for me?"

The intrusive thought was obviously his own, his mind remembering the last time he saw his father. The man was obviously older than he was when he went off to war, already in his twenties.

Dad went off to Korea at the start in 1950... came back in a coffin about a year later.

Dennis didn't remember the exact casualty count or if he'd even heard it.

All he remembered was the talk about American forces being pushed back alongside other UN troops, and how there was a supposedly major operation to land soldiers in the Korean Peninsula. He remembered his mother happily reading to him a letter or two, his father having landed somewhere back in September, around the same time he had gone to school.

Dennis only knew that the war had gone sideways from the start, with the communists winning unbelievable victories early on, only to be just as quickly driven back to the brink just before they received reinforcements from a certain power even further north... then the stalemate.

For years the fighting continued, his dad dying sometime in the early days.

He didn't know much about it.

Hell, how could he? He wasn't there.

Even with everything he had seen now, he wasn't sure how bad his father had it.

The enemy he had been fighting didn't have guns or tanks.

The feeling of helplessness returned with a vengeance.

Why fight?

Why bother?

Nothing left, right?

He shut the intrusive thoughts away, focusing on the soft hum that gave him a feeling of nostalgia. A distraction, certainly not a cure, but a distraction. He slowly allowed his tired mind to relax, let his guard down. At least that much he could do, trusting the girl behind him. His closed eyes relaxed as the soft tune continued to guide him away from his jumbled-up mind and into a calming rest before finally drifting off into an eventless unconscious.

Tyuule took a breath, and stopped humming, noticing the American had fallen asleep and even humming the familiar hymn having spurred pained memories from her past.

She leaned over to the American.

The soldier breathed softly as if the task of heavy breaths was not worth the effort after such a long time exerting himself.

She felt the presence sneak in then, and she froze.

"Attached?"

"Forgot to tell me of the attack?"

Bouro sighed, frustrated.

"Perhaps you were too busy enjoying the show?" she asked darkly.

"Forgiveness, m-"

"Did you at least purge the traitors from your midst?" she groaned.

"Yes, yes, I did that already... though his friends did most of the work after killing Kucy. If anyone isn't loyal to me now, they're gone entirely."

"Good."

"Majesty, what are you doing exactly?"

"What business is it of yours, Bouro?" she asked, her crimson eyes giving the creature a piercing look.

Bouro was far past the point of caring, but not past the point that he knew not to be cautious.

"Majesty, why are you spending time here? Do you intend to flee once this is all over?"

Tyuule didn't reply, though Bouro noted that she seemed to shrink at the accusation.

He smiled grimly.

"Be mindful of what you ask, Bouro... now, what word do you bring?"

"Several Americans pushed into the Kingdom of Elbe, from what my spies can gather, they located the Fire Dragon's nest and managed to destroy it. And if Tiberius refuses to surrender, the same fate will befall him very soon."

"And then they march on the capital?"

"No, actually. It seems that they plan to wait for Zorzal to go against them."

"Hmm... Good."

She stood up, giving Dennis another glance.

She frowned, an inquisitive expression on her face as she paused before opening the door.

Bouro brought her out of her thoughts, saying "Majesty, perhaps you should recommend he return home. He's distracting you from-"

"What's wrong with a little distraction?"

Bouro fell silent.

Tyuule continued, "My goal is to destroy this empire... that is first and foremost why I live now... he's a tool for that purpose and he is serving well enough. There is nothing wrong with me spending time with him to make sure he stays in line."

"Oh, is that it?"

Tyuule didn't reply, opening the door and shutting it behind her.

She felt her nails dig into her palms as the urge to stay in that room suddenly came over her.

It was a feeling of safety unlike anything she'd felt before even though it wasn't safe at all should Zorzal suspect something or should the nosy cooks suddenly decide they wanted to visit the young man in the middle of the night.

Still...

Her face reddened as she wondered if the possibilities had things been different.

Maybe... they can?

Dumas Mountain Range

11:00 PM

"Sire, at this rate-"

"I know, I know...if the plants continue dying, we'll lose much of our concealment... and food."

Tiberius angrily stared at the sky above.

No longer did it shine exclusively with stars or the moon.

Now there were the enemy aircraft, slow, low, and fast-moving, patrolling their newfound territory in the sky.

He didn't dare send his dragons after them. The largest of the American aircraft appeared to love dropping those flares that lit up the entire forest.

He turned to the table then and asked "How many catapults do we have?"

"Twenty, and the ballistae you ordered have been constructed, as well as their spears. The problem now is reaching them."

"Of course. They light the forest up at night... they just might see us in the day..."

He observed the hastily drawn map, noting how far the enemy had gone in such a short time.

"...alright, I have an idea... but it's all or nothing."

His men listened intently and nodded with determination visible in their eyes.

Their lives had always been thrown away, why should that change now?

May 2nd, 1964

6:00 AM

Dennis felt awake before he opened his eyes, which was... refreshing.

When he did, he slowly sat up, looking around the empty room.

The table was still filled with the books he'd been showing Tyuule the previous night, the radio was still hidden away, the candle had been put out the night before, the only source of light now being from the orange glow of the early morning sky of another world.

"Tyuule?" he asked aloud.

Idiot, she's got other things to do...

He shook his head, standing up and grabbing the books, and placing them back into the leather bag.

Guess that lullaby wasn't a joke...

He gripped the leather bag tightly.

He was still alone, the unwanted memories remained, and he didn't want to be there anymore, but now, for once...

He relaxed.

He grabbed the radio and flipped it on.

"Stalker 1, this is Trojan. Still alive?"

"Trojan, this is Stalker 1, still alive. All good?" came the equally tired reply.

"Yeah, all good."

Orders... follow orders... no problem with that.

But now he had another goal in addition to his present mission.

Staring darkly at the rising sun, the damned echo from back home rang in his mind.

You'll lose it all, and gain nothing!

His jaw clenched.

Not yet.

He had a new goal in mind, and one he intended to see through or at least try everything to see it through. He had considered it, not so much as a certainty but as a far-off possibility, but now it was a goal to reach no matter the cost.

I'm gonna marry her.

7:33 AM

Tyuule walked alongside Zorzal with an indifferent expression as she read the report she had happily falsified once the Rose Knights had gone, reading it now that the time was right.

"It seems the Rose Knights faced no opposition all the way to Itálica, though it's too early to tell if this claim of the enemy having retreated is entirely true."

Part of her wanted to egg Zorzal on even more, but she knew the generals were managing to reign him in just enough to remind him that he wasn't omniscient. Tyuule needed to show that she was capable of admitting that her information wasn't entirely accurate as mistakes could be made... but not to the point that Zorzal would think the false reports were false.

Zorzal only said "An acceptable feat. I always thought those girls would prove their worth! Now we know we can strike! Clearly, the enemy saw their number and decided to pull back. Now we can strike!"

Tyuule smiled sweetly.

"Your genius knows no bounds, majesty."

Fool...

As they walked through the courtyard, Tyuule couldn't help but notice some nearby bushes were moving about.

Huh... is that-?

Before the thought could even finish formulating in her mind, a figure rushed out of the woods and sped towards her faster than any normal person, and immediately, Tyuule recognized the stance.

That's-!

She quickly turned and raised her hands to protect herself, the assassin not caring for it as she leaped up in the air instead of just crashing into her.

Then Tyuule saw the knife.

Her eyes widened and she froze in place as she recognized the movements and attack pattern as death charged towards her faster than any Imperial Soldier ever could.

A part of her mind was more than happy to accept her fate.

Another part of her was conflicted.

She hadn't fully guaranteed her people's safety yet, and this here was clear evidence not all survivors of her small nation were under American territory.

She also hadn't killed the man next to her, who just now was turning around to see the fast-moving shadow, and her mind quickly screamed something she was sure had been shouted or pleaded out before the cry had been ignored.

I... I don't want to die now! Please-

In her hesitation and panic, she lifted her arms a little further, trying to make it so the knife didn't drive directly into her chest and ended her right there and then, maybe even avoid the knife altogether somehow.

Instead, it stabbed into her left shoulder, the blade cutting deep into the skin, but missing anything vital it could have reached if she hadn't acted.

Tyuule felt the burning sensation and yelled in pain and shock, but when she opened her eyes, she realized that her pain was nothing compared to the sheer hatred emanating from the eyes of the dark-haired warrior glaring at her, face mere centimeters apart.

"Tyuule!" the assassin cried out, swiftly moving the knife back and moving it to try and stab her again, this time to finish the job.

Tyuule froze then, staring at the hurt and fury in the eyes of the warrior.

I deserve this.

The praetorian that had been standing next to her, leaped into action, using his shield to slam the much lighter girl into the floor, his short sword already drawn he approached the girl, and then he froze as the cloak fell away to reveal the cut ears.

The ears had been cut or perhaps ripped away by a sword or a knife, but there was no mistaking their nature as she flew backward, stumbling on the landing.

Tyuule looked on in horror at the mutilated warrior as the girl began standing up with the speed of someone who had trained for this her whole life.

No... no, please stay down!

Zorzal huffed, saying "Oh, well now isn't this a surprise. A veteran of my great conquest! What a pleasure!"

The second she heard his voice, Tyuule crumbled to the floor, clutching her bleeding shoulder, staring in horror at the ground, refusing to say anything, petrified as screams and wails filled her mind again.

The warrior bunny shakily stood up, grabbing her attention once more.

I can't let her...

"D-don't-" she began to whisper, but Zorzal cut her off.

"Apologies, but... you cannot just stab my advisor like that, it's going to be very inconvenient to-"

"Shut up!" the girl screamed, lunging at him again, moving past the frozen praetorian with great ease.

Zorzal's smile did not disappear as he caught the girl with his bare hands.

Tyuule couldn't do anything but watch on as the man appeared to embrace the girl, holding her tightly as if comforting her.

Given the struggling sound that came from the warrior's mouth, Tyuule knew very well the young Emperor wasn't doing anything of the sort as she heard loud CRACKS as Zorzal began breaking the girl.

The warrior screamed and the knife fell to the floor.

Tyuule watched unblinking as the girl struggled briefly as the powerful hands quickly moved to her head, grabbing it with an iron grip that Tyuule recognized all too well.

"Sorry, but I really don't think you're the type we're looking for..." Zorzal whispered.

The Emperor's hands began forcing the girl's head to twist in a way it shouldn't, the girl barely able to fight back, her legs kicking, her arms trapped or broken, useless regardless as the man began to finish his killing.

Tyuule tried to force herself to stand up then, but couldn't.

The guards stared in awe.

Tyuule decided to try and beg.

"M-Majesty- Please-" she whimpered meekly, blood dripping down her arm as she lifted it to reach out, but too late.

-CRACK-

Tyuule gasped.

The girl's now lifeless body fell to the floor, the head twisted in a way that made it more than clear the warrior bunny was dead.

Zorzal huffed, suddenly turning to the Praetorian and yelling "Praetorian Gallus, I will overlook this gross breach of protocol and forgive your life as you SHOULD have gotten in her way... same for you, Praetorian Sulla. You both know how fast Warrior Bunnies can be..."

Finally turning to the shaking form of Tyuule, Zorzal said "Are you alright?"

Tyuule didn't speak, shakily staring at the dead body.

Zorzal shook his head, saying "Shame, I know... I thought she had escaped to Alnus, but it seems vengeance was on her mind... oh well. Go to the healer, I want you to be ready to meet with the generals again tonight, understood?"

Tyuule's eyes slowly drifted to Zorzal.

She shakily nodded and said, "Yes, your majesty."

"Good!" Zorzal said, frowning slightly at the knife the girl had carried with her, now uselessly on the floor.

He grabbed it looking it over with some bemusement, saying "Come along then, you two... the last thing I need is for another one to show up... Tyuule, when you see him, tell Bouro I want that list of all the Warrior Bunnies in the capital immediately! It's one thing to look for a concubine, it's another to look for now emboldened savages... I wonder if the Americans sent them..."

Tyuule shakily nodded but turned to look at the body as the emperor left, the two praetorians following after him without saying a word.

Through raspy breaths she covered her face, allowing hot tears to flow hiding her inner turmoil as the pain of her wound mixed with the mental and emotional pain of her cruel reality.

I swear it... I swear I'll kill him... I swear it...

---

A/N: Okay, so first of all, apologies for the delay. Though I don't really have a set schedule, I do like to try and keep up a "one chapter a month" rule... keyword "try". My computer broke down for a solid week in the middle of April, which limited my writing and responses to reviewers. Apologies for that.

That said, things are rapidly approaching a climax.

When I said on chapter 7's A/N that it would probably be the chapter that was "closest" to the original Gate series, I meant it.

That said, is Dennis jumping the shark here wanting to get married so soon? Actually, part of the real-life story that inspired this story was about a US Army officer marrying a Vietnamese girl after knowing her for less than a month.

Yeah, they're still happily married according to The New York Times article.

Different attitudes back in the 20th century.

Other than that, I really don't know what else to say.

Dragons?

Yeah, I know the Flame Dragons are considered a "top threat" but they're still animals at the end of the day, and no matter how armored they are, their insides would have been beyond repair after multiple hits from both artillery and rocket fire, so... yeah, sorry if it was more of an anticlimax there. Least this would effectively prove to a certain annoying goddess that these guys are at least worth working with.

Anyway, Thank you so much for reading! Remember that reviews and suggestions are greatly appreciated, especially in the character department! Hope to see you all soon!