Chapter 3
The light started out as small resembling that of a mousehole but slowly grew bigger and bigger becoming the size of a train tunnel. The tanks accelerated as things became more visible but even at top speed it was a slow process.
Finally, the scene of an open meadow, blue skies, and large snow topped mountains greeted them. For a moment Cox and his men were dumbfounded at the beautiful scene in front of them.
Then Cox's attention turned to the left where a cluster of tents stood in the distance, but what caught his attention was men approaching him in raggedy clothing and one bearing a white flag.
Back at the hills a soldier approached Commander Paul, the Major and several other men.
"Did you see where she went?" asked Paul.
"No Commander she somehow disappeared. I saw her go over a hill, but when I got to the top of it, she was gone."
The Commander brought his hand up to his face and scratched his head. "Continue to scout the area, but do not engage unless you are attacked first. For all intents and purposes, we are on a ceasefire until at least this time tomorrow."
"Perhaps they can perform some kind of magic." Said the Major.
"Major Roland do not indulge in such childish notions. Now as you are all aware…"
A rider pulled up interrupting the meeting and handed the Commander a message:
Commander,
I have sent men through the dark mist as instructed. I chose to send the tanks of the 37th infantry regiment. They reported being sent to an unknown area resembling the Alps in Europe. An enemy camp has surrendered to us and we have found some of our soldiers and the police officers being held there. There are also a fair number of enemy wounded as well as women and children whom are malnourished. While some can understand us, the majority are speaking an unknown language. I request that food and medical personnel be sent to my position as soon as possible,
First Sergeant Morrison.
The Commander immediately scribbled a reply calling for the surviving police officers and soldiers to be evacuated to the nearest hospital to undergo physical evaluations and then to be debriefed. He then turned the letter over to Roland.
"Well it appears that any leverage they had over us is now gone." Said the Commander.
"Women and children were with them and we killed their fathers." Said the Major.
"Our men were fathers too. I have no sympathy for the family of our enemies."
"They could be hostages as well. This is a humanitarian crisis. The Red Cross should be brought in."
"Major I want you to get to the bottom of this compound crisis. Who were they? What were they doing? What investigations took place? Get accounts from the police officers once they recover."
"Understood." The Major was disappointed with the Commander's lack of sympathy. "Commander what about this account of the unknown area?"
"I will see them reinforced; it is important that the area be held. I don't know exactly what this place is, but I intend to find out."
The doctor looked through his otoscope into the ear of a young girl. A procedure he had done many times before but this time he looked carefully and was hesitant. It was like he was in medical school all over again. While the individual he was examining looked human her ears were anything but.
Finally, he looked up at the mother who's leg the child clutched. "It's okay, only a mild infection. I'll give her some antibiotics to make it heal faster."
"Ant-botics?" the mother said confused.
"Medicine to make her ear better."
The doctor went to his car, pulled out a small jar and returned. Using a small dropper, he put it in her ear and released a couple drops. The child twitched and cried.
"Stop you're hurting her!" said the mother alarmed.
"It's over now." Said the doctor. "Where is her father?"
"He left a long time ago. Only females of my kind partake in child rearing."
The doctor thought a moment. "Give her a couple drops from this container twice a day for a week and then her ear infection should go away."
"Thank you heal… I mean doctor" The mother's ears which had been drooped stood up.
The doctor took one last look at the mother and daughter with their long rabbit ears and cotton tails.
The Sergeant walked over to him. "How are you doing doctor?"
The doctor rubbed his head. "You may want to bring in a veterinarian for the ones with animal features. I can't say I'm fully confident I am examining them properly."
"Don't worry John we'll have more doctors here soon. Thank you for all your help."
"Think nothing of it Sergeant. Today has been a… enlightening experience for me."
The Sergeant looked on as the doctor drove away. He was from the village of Alton, the only doctor nearby for many miles. After the discovery of the camp the police and soldiers had been evacuated to a state hospital while the enemy combatants and civilians were brought out of the void and treated in a makeshift camp by National Guard physicians.
The Sergeant was surprised that most of the children had rabbit ears. Despite this baffling revelation everyone seemed to be to busy with work to ask questions. In the end food and water had been distributed and the sick had been cared for but now everyone was exhausted.
Things still needed to be worked out though. The creatures referred to as warrior bunnies were in the worst shape. They were practically skeletal but desperately continued to nurse their infants. While some of the creatures stayed with their offspring many had fled into the hills with the active enemy combatants. As a result, each mother had around 20 children each to deal with. If all of the children were to survive more mothers had to be brought back.
Despite the rabbit people around 2/3rds of those in the camp were ordinary humans, with some being fluent in English and others knowing none at all. They spoke some strange Celt-like language. Some of them likely originated from the compound while most were foreign, but the Sergeant elected not to waste energy yet on figuring out who was who. Strangely the bunny creatures were often the easiest to communicate with.
The next day the Sergeant was overseeing more examinations of those in the camp when a car pulled up escorted by a truck with riflemen in it close behind. The Sergeant was quick to greet him with a salute.
"Morrison what the h*** is this? What is this camp set up here?"
"Refugees sir who were recovered from the hole." Replied the Sergeant.
"I gave no such order for the enemy combatants to be brought out." The Commander looked around seeing most of Morrison's forces missing. "And where are your men?"
"They've formed a perimeter on the other side."
"You've left yourself completely vulnerable to these vermin!"
"These peoples barely have the strength to feed themselves."
The Commander then saw the rabbit girls. "Good Lord they really are vermin. Send those things back to where they came from."
"Sir with all due respect…"
"Sergeant I will not hesitate to strip you of your rank. You have your orders."
Suddenly Burmilla came up out of nowhere. "Ah Commander Paul and Sergeant Morrison. I've set up formal negotiations in that tent over there if you would so kindly follow me."
"Wait…How?" The Commander groaned. "Let's get this over with."
The two followed Burmilla inside and were confronted by three individuals on the other side of the tent, and she went up to them. One appeared average in bland clothing, one with a large build in full silver armor, and the last a woman in purple garbs with fur on her arms and long ears.
Burmilla spoke: "This is Sir Caron of the Huguenots, Sir Hoffman lord of Proptor, and Lady Beveren Regent of the Warrior Bunnies."
"Are those ears real?" Asked the Commander.
"I'm First Sergeant Morrison and this is my superior Command Sergeant Major Paul leader of the West Virginia National Guard."
"Now that introductions are out of the way all may be seated." Said Burmilla.
All sat down on the ground with the exception of the Commander. "Stand at attention Sergeant."
Morrison did so immediately.
"So, you are all the leaders of these peoples and their armies?" said the Commander.
"We are." Replied Caron.
"Well here's the deal. I'll allow the remnants of your armies safe passage here to close the hole, but you must take your forces and all your people and close it on the other side."
"This is outrageous!" said Hoffman. "We can't go back."
"You don't belong in this country. Anyone who was originally of the compound and can prove their citizenship can be taken into my custody, but otherwise everyone must go."
"I understand your concern." Said Caron. "But if we go back, we and our families
will die. We will lay down our arms and close the gateway if we be granted refuge here."
"I do not have the authority to accept refugees. There is no room for negotiation. You must accept my offer otherwise the war will continue, and these people will become my prisoners."
"Don't be to hasty Commander." Said Beveren. "You may have the upper hand at the moment, but you have yet to face my forces. All I have to do is give the word and they will slaughter your men in their sleep."
"Are you threatening me monster?"
"Are you not threatening us Commander? Make no mistake we are desperate and would much rather die here than return to face the horrors beyond the gate."
"Well if I am to entertain the notion of granting asylum, I must know exactly what these 'horrors' are that you'd rather face gas and suffocate then return home."
"I was under the assumption that Burmilla brought our reasons to light." Said Hoffman. "You may be able to kill us yes but if the Harvester catches us, he will torture us and our families in ways you couldn't imagine, and he will come here in search of us if the gate is left open."
"That is none of my concern. In case you were unaware my country was drawn into a major conflict less than a decade ago and my people are war weary. I've seen injuries in the trenches you couldn't fathom. Now I ask you once again will you accept my offer or not?" Said the Commander in a loud tone.
Beveren gave a slight smile. "Well I guess its war then."
"Commander please the gate must be closed. Otherwise it will be open war in your state." Said Caron.
"If anyone else attempts to enter this state I'll decimate them as I have your forces."
After everyone dispersed from the tent Morrison was quick to question the Commander. "Commander like it or not we can't just send them back. If the fighting continues many more will be killed on both sides. Let them surrender to us and allow them close the hole. After that we can monitor their camps and bring in federal soldiers and the Red Cross."
"Sergeant if I want your opinion on the matter, I'll ask it. First and foremost, you follow my orders, and if you are incapable of doing so you will be relived of your command."
After arriving back in their camp deep in the woods Beveren was ready to set things in motion for an attack. "We'll wait a couple more days and then when night comes, I'll send my forces to attack the National Guard outside the gate and then Burmilla will close it. I'll lose five-ten women tops. Just before daybreak the knights and remaining foot soldiers will launch an attack on the soldiers based near the hills. Then my warriors will return and attack them from behind."
"I don't doubt the plan." Said Hoffman. "However, after the last attack more than half of my men were killed. I now have more knights than infantry. Your casualties will be kept to a minimum, but my forces will be left all but spent."
"We can't do it." Said Caron bluntly. "If we close the gate the soldiers on the other side will be trapped."
"That's the point." Said Beveren. "They wanted to trap us there. Besides they have their weapons they can defend themselves."
"Beveren I know you can wipe them out after a few nights, but more will come. Remember these men are mere militia. We have yet to fight the professional army and attrition will result in our destruction. if we attack any attempt at a peaceful resolution will be lost."
"Much as I rather fight my forces are nothing more than a remnant of their former glory. Nevertheless, our options are clear: we either stay here and die or go back and die. Is there nothing we can offer the militia so that they will grant us sanctuary?" Said Hoffman.
"Talks are over." Said Beveren. "We must destroy the militia, rescue our civilians, and escape elsewhere."
"Then we'll be in the same predicament we were in in our home world." Said Caron.
"The Huguenots of this world say there are other territories and lands we can escape to. Perhaps we can find peoples of this world more willing to negotiate." Said Hoffman.
"No, our people are too sick to go any further. I'll have to have Burmilla see if she can set us up one more meeting before violence breaks out again."