Sorry for the lack of chapters, the last few months have been crazy busy as I've been preparing to get married later this week!!! I can promise the final chapters are in the works and will be published in the next few weeks! Thank you for your patience, and I hope you enjoy the beginning of the end for Dog Tags.
"So you're going to travel to Saito's world?" Asked Henrietta. She stood in the war room with Agnés, Tabitha, Headmaster Osmond, Luctiana and other advisors who listened to Saito and Louise's plan. "I know the World Door is capable of travel throughout Halkeginia, but can it cross dimensions into other worlds?" "His Holiness said it was possible before," said Louise. "We have nothing to lose by trying."
"The weapons of my world were very powerful against the monsters here," Saito added. "The plane I had before was at least 50 years old. Imagine having one that was up to date with modern weapons." "The Ancient Dragon still slumbers," Tabitha put in. "If there was a time to attempt this, it's now."
Louise nodded, "I'll be going with Saito. Once we find what we need, he'll need a way to bring it back." "Alright, but just so you know, my world's very different from yours," Saito warned. "It might be a bit jarring, so stay close." Louise took his hand, looking into the boy's eye with affection. "I won't leave your side," she promised. The gesture didn't go unnoticed by Henrietta, who raised an eyebrow slyly at the pair.
"So when did this happen?" She teased. "Um, just now..." Saito replied, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "In any case, we don't know how long the Dragon will stay dormant," Henrietta continued. "The sooner you leave, the sooner we can actively plan an effective counter attack. How quickly can you depart?" "Right now," said Louise, raising her wand. "It's too bad Mr. Colbert isn't here right now," Saito noted. "He'd probably jump at the chance to go with us."
"He's making defense preparations at the Academy, in case the fighting moves that way," said Agnés. "Which reminds me, I'd better join the Musketeers and get them ready. Good luck, you two." She bows to Henrietta, "Your Majesty." And with that, she exits the room. "Maybe once this whole thing with the Dragon is resolved, we can all visit my world sometime," Saito said with optimism. "If it's resolved," added a realistic Tabitha. "Though I admit, I wouldn't mind seeing it myself..." "Alright then, Louise," said Henrietta. "The time is now." The mage nodded and pointed her wand at an open space.
In the middle of a paved city street, a portal opened up and Saito stepped through. A broad smile spread across his face. After so long, the boy was finally home. He looked back into the portal at Louise, who was unsure about following him. It looked like she was about to change her mind when Saito reached in to her.
"You coming?" His hand was outstretched and in front of Louise. She looked down at it and then into Saito's eyes. He had a look of confidence about him she hadn't seen in quite some time, bringing about the same feelings in herself. Smiling, she took his hand and the boy pulled her through. "Good luck!!" Called Henrietta. The duo nodded back determinedly as the portal closed.
Saito looked around, somehow their sudden appearance went unnoticed by the few people walking around. "It's hard to believe I'm home," he said, taking in the modern surroundings. Louise meanwhile, was wide-eyed and speechless. A sudden car horn made her jump in surprise. "What's that!?" She asked, pointing at the vehicle in question.
"That's a car," Saito replied. "Sort of a horseless carriage." He looked around, and began to notice a few people staring at them. "Take off your cloak," he said, removing his own. "Why?" Asked Louise, watching him do it. "We don't wanna draw attention to ourselves. It's not something people go around wearing in public anymore," Saito explained. "At least not outside of cosplay." "What's that?" She began to unfasten her cloak. "Um, I'll explain all that later," he replied. "Right now, we've gotta move." "Where are we going?" Saito looked serious, "To catch a plane."
After hitching a ride from a helpful truck driver, Saito and Louise were standing outside the Iruma Air Base. It was closed off to the general public and had a chain fence surrounding the perimeter. "What is this place?" Asked Louise. "It's where I planned to transfer once I finished basic training," Saito replied. He pointed to an airfield where several fighter jets stood on a runway. "That's what we want," he said, singling one out. "A Mitsubish-F-2A. Great speed, fantastic firepower, it's perfect for aerial combat."
Louise looked over, "How do you know so much about that plane?" Saito gazed at it in reverence, "It's what my dad used to fly..." The mage nodded understandingly. "Might not be the most modern plan used, but it should get the job done against that Dragon," Saito went on. He noticed a tanker truck pulling alongside the row of planes. "Looks like they did some kind of training exercise already," he said. "That truck's gotta be loaded with gasoline."
"In any case, there's too many people about," Louise added. "Trying to take that in broad daylight would be tricky." Saito nodded in agreement, "Yeah, we'll have to wait until night to sneak in. Then you can use World Door to get us back to the castle." "So what do we do for now?" Asked Louise. "Well since we've got time to kill, I guess I can show you around my world a bit," Saito said. "Are you hungry?" Louise smiled at the boy, "I suppose I could eat. What's the local cuisine?" Saito took Louise's hand, "Actually, I had something special in mind..."