Camp Alnus, Interrogation Room, February 25th 2017, 0810 AT
« Why ? »
It might have been a single simple word, but the weight it conveyed was heavy. Of course, at first there was no answer from the woman chained to the table. The interrogator was in front of her, looking at her with anger, his hands resting on a closed file.
She had been ordered to accomplish a single task, something that she had done countless times before. And at this moment, the shameful weight of her failure was keeping her head down.
« You sneaked in, you assaulted two people, you heavily injured one before stealing his gun and taking a man hostage… What the fuck got you to do all of this ? »
Word after word, his voice was getting angrier, as if twenty four hours of pressure started to leak out from his mouth. And she still would not speak. She still could not speak. Even a single word of acknowledgement could not leave her mouth, let alone detailed explanations. And it was enough to bring him to the breaking point.
He violently rose up, kicking the chair from underneath him. The metallic echo of the seat hitting the ground bounced off the walls of the tiny room, startling the woman that tried to curl as much as she could with the chains.
« God fucking dammit, Delilah, he screamed at the top of his lungs. My colleague was bleeding out on the ground because of you and we don't know if he'll have to shit through a fucking tube for the rest of his life. If you don't say something soon, I'm going to stab you myself so that you know how it fucking feels ! »
The rabbit woman started to cry, expecting the torture to start. But before he could do anything, someone lightly knocked on the other side of the only door. This completely blocked him in his movement and he turned around, leaving the room and loudly slamming the panel shut behind him.
« Please Frank, calm down. »
The calm voice of Myuute was in sharp contrast with the visible anger of the intelligence agent. At first, he did not reply anything, simply sitting down in his usual chair and rubbing his own face.
« How am I supposed to stay fucking calm ? She stabbed him. You saw it yourself. And I can't keep calm when I know she has his blood on her hands. »
« If you continue like that, she will be so terrified that it will trigger her instincts again. And it will not be pretty. »
There was a long moment of silence where one tried to cool his mind while the other kept looking through the one way mirror. Delilah had been stripped of her entire traditional attire following her arrest, something that Myuute had already lived through.
And when she noticed it, it gave birth to a thought that felt very obvious.
« We have a lot in common. » she simply stated, not moving her look from Delilah.
This got Frank to launch a strange look towards her.
« What do you mean ? »
Of course, there was an obvious reply. The harpy had already tried to fight against soldiers equipped with modern weapons and it had earned her a place in prison and several trips to this very same interrogation room. But there was something else.
She replied to his question in a roundabout way by heading to the door linking the two rooms.
« I think I can get her to say something. »
Before he could say anything in protest, she entered and softly closed the door behind her. Without precipitation, she picked up the chair that had fallen on the ground and sat in front of the rabbit woman that was still crying. She opened the file and quickly looked at the documents it contained. Most of the papers were written directly in French and her knowledge of written French was limited to simple vocabulary she could see every day on signs.
While the Siren looked at the various pictures contained within the file, Delilah slowly rose her head up from her curled up position, taking a small glance through the hairs masking her face to see if danger had gone away.
And Myuute noticed.
« My dear Delilah, she started as softly as possible. I am truly saddened to see you here. You are one of the most known faces in the village and the Black Halberd feels empty without you giving out drinks. I honestly think you do not belong in this cell. »
Slowly, the prisoner rose her head giving the interrogator a good look at her reddened eyes. And because of her past among the bandits, Myuute knew that those were not the eyes of a murderer.
« Re… Really ? »
« I genuinely believe it. Sadly, with what you have done, it will take a long time before you will walk free again. However, if you tell everything you know, it might earn you a shorter time behind bars. »
Delilah's eyes went back down. There was something strange in her behavior. She was acting conflicted, split between talking to save herself and keeping quiet for a very particular reason.
To limit the number of down times, Myuute pulled out one picture from the file and pushed it towards Delilah.
« This was taken inside your room during the search we conducted yesterday morning. Most of the furniture had been pushed away to leave space for this. A shrine composed of effigies of various gods. »
Slowly, she pulled closed in pictures of each figure, indicating the name and the myth domain of that deity.
Emroy, God of Warfare.
Hardy, Goddess of the Underground.
Deldort, God of Covenants.
And finally Palapon…
« God of Revenge. »
Delilah had interrupted the Siren to say herself who was the last god of her own shrine. Myuute gave a nod before leaning back in her chair and going to the point of this description.
« It is not uncommon for assassins to create shrines like these before executing their mission and their targets. They pray to Emroy to improve the handling of their weapons, to Hardy to announce that a new soul will join her realm and to Deldort to swear they will carry out their mission. But you also prayed to Palapon. Did you want to take revenge on Emilie Duong ? On a seventeen year old French citizen ? »
« I… I cannot… I cannot tell. »
If she kept herself from talking in such a way, it was probably because she was protecting something important in her eyes.
« Fine… If you cannot tell what all of this is about, then maybe the Countess will. »
Delilah's head jerked up as she heard those words, but she kept quiet. Yet, Myuute still viewed this reaction as a success. She had hit a sensible spot and there was no way for the interrogated to back away from the topic, something she had learned watching from the other side of the mirror.
She pulled out a piece of paper containing the transcript of an interview in Saderan that was sure to make her speak.
« We have collected the testimonies of all your coworkers at the Black Halberd. This is what Persia told us. She said, and I quote, that "a messenger had arrived from Italica in a hurry. He was carrying a message bearing the Formar seal. He kept repeating that it was for Delilah, that it was very important and that only she could read it. But because she was working her shift, I brought it to her room and left it there for her." Strangely enough, we looked thoroughly through your room and we failed to find any kind of message. Where is it ? »
« I burned it. »
This time, it was Myuute that was slightly taken aback. She was clearly not expecting a direct answer. But in a way, she was glad that she has spoken without too much additional effort.
« What did it say ? Was it an order from the Countess to eliminate your target ? »
Delilah remained silent for a second, weighing in her options.
« I do not know who wrote it… But it bore the seal of the Formar. Refusing did not cross my mind. Especially if… »
She suddenly stopped herself as if she had suddenly started to say things she was not supposed to. It was a mistake that played even more to Myuute's psychological advantage.
« Especially if what ? Was there something else in that letter ? Were you promised something ? The more you tell me, the shorter the time in prison you will get. »
Delilah rose her head back up and shook her head from side to side with more confidence.
« I… I cannot… And I will not say anything else. I would fail my ancestors if I do… »
It seemed that for now, there was not much information left to gain with her. So Myuute just gave one last nod as she put back all the pictures into the file.
« I understand. But if you are actively lying to us, you must understand that there will be consequences. »
Delilah did not answer. She simply looked back down towards her cuffed hands. And without any more words, the interrogator returned to the observation room.
Frank had calmed down and was sitting behind his usual computer, typing out what was probably a report of this questioning. He was so focused on it that he did not speak until after she asked a question she was eager to know the answer to.
« So ? How was I ? »
« Not bad for a first time, he replied with a grumpy tone. At least we know where to go next to clear up all this bullshit. »
It was only at this moment that she realized where all of this was going to take her. It had been months since she had started to live in Alnus and she had not left the hill during that time. And now that she had an opportunity, her destination was far from being the place carrying the best memories.
Unnamed mountain path, A dozen miles north of Schwartz Woods, February 25th 2017, 1820 AT
For both Elf and Human, bodies were hurting after such a long hike through the rugged terrain. The reconnaissance team, including the three girls, had left the canyon just before sunrise along with a group of Dark Elven guides and carriers. And with such a load to carry, all helping hands were welcome.
The sun was setting and the air was getting colder, the shifting lighting giving the landscape a surreal feel. But no one had the time to enjoy the scenery as they continued their march uphill. Everyone was sharing the burden, heavy packs full of equipment on their backs. Even Rory had to get to work, much to her displeasure.
« How far are we ? » Anthony finally asked to the Dark Elf that was leading the march just in front of him.
« We are close to the entry of the cave, Sir. » he replied, still looking in front of him.
« What do you mean by close ? »
« It should be just after this next crest, Sir. »
The Lieutenant thanked the Elf for the information, wondering how old he was. If there was something he still had trouble getting used to with the Special Region and its locals, it was the difference in ages and life expectancy.
Behind him, the rest of the group was following with their heads down, focused on stepping on the right spots and not tripping. And if someone ignored the Elves, the magician and the demi-goddess, they could have expected some insurgents with old Kalashnikovs to pop-up from behind some rocks.
It took several long minutes of additional effort for the group to reach the crest. It was directly followed by a short downhill section that led directly to a large opening on the side of the mountain. This simple sight was enough to boost the morale and lighten up the loads for the final stretch. And when they finally put their backpacks down on the ground in front of the cave entrance, they all felt relieved. They had done the hardest part of the mission and they had all earned a well-deserved break.
« Pierre, try to contact Command and tell them we've arrived. »
« Yes, Lieutenant. »
The young soldier immediately picked up the microphone of his long range radio. But of all his attempts, not a single reply came back to him.
As he was troubleshooting any possible malfunctions on his end, Anthony turned his head towards his guide that had sat near him.
« So this cave leads directly to the nest of the Fire Dragon ? »
« It does. A long time ago, we used to collect sulfur from the inside of the volcano. That cave was our way of accessing the crater. And when we could not mine any more, we tried to find another place to mine. Nobody had come here for years until recently, when one of the young member of the tribe wanted to see if he could find useful things here. »
« And I guess that is when you found that there was a big reptile sleeping there. »
« Exactly. But because it seemed so deep in his sleep, our Elders tried to keep it a secret to keep our society free from unnecessary panic. Sadly, time proved them wrong. »
The Lieutenant nodded as he started to draft more precise plans in his head.
« Are you sure it's not in there ? I don't want to go in and meet it again before we can do anything. »
« Scouts have reported that it left its nest towards the north this morning. When it leaves in that direction, the Dragon does not come back for several days as it goes hunting in the plains. »
Anthony thanked the Dark Elf before standing back up and starting to quickly draw something on the ground with his foot.
« Everyone, listen up, he then launched to get the attention of all the members of the group. After you are all done eating, this is how we will proceed. Pierre, you're going to stay out with two others to guard the entry, stay on the long range radio and do some spotting if it comes back. The rest, we'll be going in with the bags and rig the nest with explosives. We then get the hell out of there and wait in the cave for the Dragon to come back. Once it does, we blow things up and call in the airstrikes. Any questions ? »
There were a few seconds of silence. He then felt something pulling on his sleeve, causing him to turn around.
« Do you mean I will have to go through that cave ? »
Everyone was a bit confused at first when Rory asked her question. But her worried look was enough for the few people that knew to connect the dots. Between them and the objective was a cave. And she did not like caves.
« Ah fuck I forgot… Huh let's see. You are going to stay outside with Pierre and Marc while the rest go in. Yeah you'd be more useful outside to spot any incoming stuff. Any other objections ? »
This time, nobody commented or said anything. After telling his men to go back to their meals, he picked his stuff back up and moved a few meters away from the rest, where Lelei and Tuka were waiting.
Or at least, one of them was waiting while the other was sleeping.
« She got another attack ? » he asked as he sat down next to them, pulling out the cardboard box that contained what remained of his daily ration.
« No, coldly replied the mage. She is just tired from walking. »
« Well we all are, he simply stated as he lit up one of the solid fuel tab with a match. You better eat something up. It's not over yet. »
As the canned food slowly cooked over the small flame, Daniella sat down next to the young elf, passing her gloved hand through the long blonde hair.
« Do you think it will ever be over ? » she asked, still trying to understand the workings of Tuka's mind.
« At that point, we don't have any other choice but to hope it will. »
Italica, Formar Mansion, February 25th 2017, 1900 AT
« I am truly saddened by the news that have come from Alnus today. »
By the way she had spoken, one could have easily forgotten that the Countess that was talking to them was only a young girl.
« I hope you understand that, because this crime has been committed by one of your servants, you are directly involved in this investigation. Any attempt to hide clues or proofs could have extreme consequences. »
In the small reception room, Frank and Myuute were sitting in front of the young Countess. Outside of the large windows, the night had already fallen on the town. The dim light of the candles was giving a serious atmosphere to the room, and it was far from making everyone comfortable.
It was the Siren that was doing the talking. Even if Frank was more than able to have a conversation regarding his work and his files, he was not sure about all the etiquette that came with interacting with nobility in a formal situation. So he let Myuute talk on his behalf to avoid any accidental rudeness.
« I am perfectly aware. I am open to all of your questions and I can give you access to all the rooms of my home. »
Standing behind the seat of the Countess was an old looking man, wearing the dark uniform of a servant, ready to take any order from the young girl. But nobody was really paying him any attention. Instead, Myuute turned her head towards Frank who gave a small nod.
« Have you, or a member of your staff, sent any message by carrier to Alnus recently ? »
« No. It is way faster to use the motorized convoys going back and forth between Italica and Alnus, so we prefer to use those over carriers on horseback. And in reality, we rarely need to send any message to begin with. For official matters, there are enough French officers in this city that I can contact directly, while I let the people of the Alnus Cooperative handle the matters relating to the staff I have sent them. The last paper message I had to send to the hill dates from last week. »
« Yet we have multiple witnesses telling us that a rider delivered a message bearing your seal directly to Delilah. »
« How strange, commented the Countess before turning towards the servant. Has anyone used the seal without my knowledge ? »
« Not that I am aware of, my lady. »
Myuute could not help herself but raise a curious eyebrow.
« What do you mean ? »
« As the current head of the Formar family, I am the only one allowed to handle the tools needed to create a seal. This ensures that if a document bears it, then it has really been written by my hand. However, it is possible that somebody in the know managed to steal the seal to create this fake request. »
Frank was quick to write everything down before whispering a few words in Myuute's ear.
« With all due respect, can we see where this seal is stored ? This might lead us to important clues. »
« Very well. This is an exceptional situation that requires exceptional decisions to be taken. Bartholomeo, show them the way. »
« Of course, my lady. »
The man bowed with great respect before opening a door directly next to him. The two investigators and the Countess stood up from their seats and followed him through the corridors of the mansion.
« So what are we going to do with that seal ? » the Siren asked Frank with a low voice, trying not to be heard by anyone else.
« If we can get a hold of it for long enough, you'll have to call your colleagues with the scientific gear. Now the people here just need to play nice and we might have ourselves a suspect before tomorrow morning. »
After a few seconds, Bartholomeo stopped and opened one of the numerous doors. This one lead to the Countess' office, a large room with most of the walls entirely covered by bookshelves worth of important documents. In the middle was a very large table surrounded by chairs. The perfect place to put down maps and parchments containing important information with many advisors around you.
The servant ignored all of this and headed for the back wall. He took a key from a pocket of his uniform and inserted it in a small keyhole concealed behind a small piece of tapestry. The heavy lock was turned opened and a large panel of the wall was pulled out, revealing a small room.
It was some sort of secret storage cabinet, used to keep important items out of opportunistic hands. At a glance, neither Frank nor Myuute could identify what those objects were, but their attention quickly focused on a large box sitting on a shelf.
Bartholomeo picked it up and carried it to the table with care.
« The seal is in this box ? » asked Myuute, just to make sure.
« It is indeed. From the outside, it seems that nothing is wrong. Maybe on the inside… »
The young girl brought her hands closers to the small lock, but she was interrupted in her movement by the intelligence officer.
« Please do not touch the box anymore ! »
She stopped out of confusion. It was so sudden that she could not really be angry at the man.
« What did you say ? »
« Please do not touch the box, Your Highness. We need to look for fingerprints on it, and putting yours on it might destroy evidence. »
« Finger… prints ? »
And so, as the Gendarmes with the proper gear made their way to the office, Frank explained in detail what fingerprints were and how exactly they were going to detect them on the box and on the seal. By the time he finished, another group of men entered the room, carrying all the necessary tools.
The Countess looked at them as they put on their gloves and started to examine the box under all possible angles. Carefully, they opened the wooden container and picked up the seal itself, all of this while one Gendarme was taking pictures of all the elements that were relevant to the investigation.
With small brushes, they started to apply a thin white powder on the various objects with very light movements. And after several minutes of careful and precise work, she could finally see what all of the French investigators were looking for. Small oval shapes placed all over the box and the seal.
« So what do we have ? » asked Frank to the Gendarme holding the seal.
« Most of them are pretty small, most probably a child. However, there is a set of prints that doesn't fit. Clearly adult hands. »
The Countess had told them that only she was allowed to touch the seal. The fact that they finally had some sort of tangible proof could only bring a smile on the face of the two investigators.
« What are you going to do next ? »
The question came from the Countess, wanting to fulfill her growing curiosity. And it was Myuute that answered.
« Now, we will take the fingerprints of all the people that can have access to this seal to find out who else used it. »
« And we better start right now, added Frank before turning towards Bartholomeo. Sir, one of these fine gentlemen are going to explain to you what is going to happen next. »
This man had a key that lead directly to the secret storage room, making him the closest to a real suspect. On top of that, with him already in a room with all the gear needed, it was the most convenient to everyone.
However, the man seemed worried. At first, Frank had dismissed it as him not being comfortable with foreigners handling the seal in such a way. But when his eyes started to dart around the entire room, looking at every Gendarmes in the room.
« Sir ? Are you alright ? » asked Frank, trying to understand what was happening with his suspicious behavior.
But he got no answer as the man dashed out of the room and started to run down the long corridor.
There was half a second of confusion before Frank and Myuute also rushed out to chase him down. The Siren was the quickest of the three and had no trouble reducing the distance on the long straights of the corridors. However, when it came to carrying speed around corners, it seemed that the advantage somehow went to the older man. If you then add into the mix the various bystanders and the furniture situated in the path of the runners, it only made the progression much harder for those that did not know the layout of the mansion.
Bartholomeo only had one objective. If he could reach the narrow streets of the town, then he could lose his pursuers. But first, he had to get out of the mansion. And from where he was, his best chance was through the delivery door at the back of the keep. He just needed to go down the large set of stairs and pass through the kitchen.
In his life, he had gone up and down those steps countless times, and this time was probably the fastest he has ever done so. Now, there were only a few rooms left before freedom. His luck seemed to work in his favor as the various doors he needed to go through were already wide open. Now, it only was about stepping outside.
For a split second, he felt relieved when the sole of his shoe touched the gravel ground. But before he realized it, a great force pushed him down on the ground as the Siren tackled him.
« Do not move ! » she yelled, using all of her weight to keep him from breaking free.
The man was struggling, but Myuute's strength kept him in place as Frank and other Gendarmes arrived on the scene.
As Bartholomeo's hands were cuffed, the intelligence officer had a large smile on his face.
« Sir, you are in so much shit right now. »
Dragon's nest, A dozen miles north of Schwartz Woods, February 25th 2019, 2000 AT
« Holy shit. »
« Yup… This is it. »
After a long walk inside the dark and tight caves, the rush of fresh air felt otherworldly as the group finally stepped inside the crater. And even the ones with the wildest imagination were taken aback by the giant circular wall of natural stone rising way above their heads towards the night sky, the glow of the torches and the flares giving the scene an even more unnatural feeling.
« Alright, people, we do not have all night, yelled the Lieutenant. Put the rocket launchers here and the plastic explosives over there. »
Those that were carrying part of the payload acknowledged and started to put their bags on the ground. It was only when their shoulders were free of the weight that they started to look around in more detail. The ground was dusty and slightly sloped towards the center of the crater. The kind of dip that would happen with a heavy mass landing continuously at the same place for years.
Anthony slowly walked forward towards the center of the stone nest. He knew how big the Fire Dragon was, and he really had trouble imagining that massive lizard feeling comfortable in there. With his foot, he kicked away the dust that was under his sole, creating a cloud that rose up and faded in the night. Despite all the rocks, the ground felt a lot like compact sand. Strong enough to walk on without trouble but still weak enough for their tools to dig through.
« Alright. Bring the shovels over here ! Here is a good spot. »
Within a few minutes, most of the team had started digging. The hole they had to create needed to be large enough to contain all the explosives. And they had quite a lot of explosives.
In an overall silence, everyone was working, including the Dark Elves. Other world or not, a shovel was still a shovel. Only a few soldiers were not digging as they made the initial preparations of the packs of plastic.
« Huh ? »
Hans stopped himself in his movement as he felt the blade of his shovel hitting something. He kneeled down and unearthed the mysterious object like a strange archeologist.
« What is this ? » asked John, looking over the German's shoulder.
But the private had no time to answer as one of the Dark Elves spoke up.
« It is what remains of the egg of a dragon… By Hardy, the situation is worse than I thought. »
Silence.
« Putain… »
The conclusion everyone reached was simple obvious. It was no longer the problem of the Fire Dragon, but the problem of the Fire Dragons. And saying it was a big deal was clearly an understatement.
With more digging, more and more fragments of eggshell were discovered. It was really at this moment that they truly realized they were indeed sabotaging the nest of an extremely dangerous beast.
A beast that could return at any moment.
Without any order, the rhythm of the digging started to rise. Even if they had no real idea of the time left, everybody knew that the window they had was closing fast and the sooner they were out of this crater the better.
Soon enough, the hole was judged big enough for the entire payload and order was given to lay the small packages in their shallow grave. This time, no Dark Elf was helping. It was not that they did not want to, but rather that they were not allowed near live explosives.
No one could tell how long everything took, but at the end, each pack was linked together with an electric cable running to the detonator. With one press of a button, all of it would explode and everyone hoped that nothing would remain after that.
« All right now we need to bury everything. »
For the Lieutenant, it was the final order. As his soldiers returned to their shovels, he turned his head back towards the entrance. There, he could see both the mage and the elf having a discussion. He could not hear what they were saying, but it seemed that Lelei had found the magic words to keep Tuka distracted. Now what he needed was to find words of his own to convince her to activate the detonator. But nothing came to mind.
Tuka noticed him looking at her and waved, like an invitation to join the conversation. He only replied with a side to side nod. It was with her saddened face in his head that he returned to work, helping to put the dirt back where it had originally been.
But with the sound of the shovels moving rocks and dust around, nobody heard the sound of something big coming.
The sound was more than distinctive in the middle of the quiet mountains. A huge mass, slowly moving its enormous wings, was coming back to its nest. And it was not good news for whoever was inside.
With her speed and agility, Rory had left the two French soldiers that were with her to keep watch from another part of the mountain. There was no mistake on what this sound was and she immediately started to jump from rock to rock to return towards the entrance of the cave. She only had a few minutes to warn everyone inside to get out before the beast would land in the crater.
« Corporal Sostat ! Corporal Sostat ! The Dragon is coming back ! » she called even though she could not see them yet.
She was not really expecting any clear reply. Even just hearing them back was enough for her. But at first, she could not hear anything. Just the silence of the mountain and the thumping of the heavy wings filled the air. Her heart started to beat faster and faster as she started to accelerate as much as she could. Something was wrong, but she could not tell what.
It was only when she closed in on the entrance that she finally heard one of the two soldiers.
« Stay where you are and identify yourself ! »
She immediately recognized Pierre's distinctive accent as he barked instructions to someone. But she could not see anything yet with the rocks that were still in the way.
It was only when she vaulted over the last boulder that her eyes widened in shock. A familiar shape, standing at a good distance from the two soldier that were keeping it in their sights.
« You ! » yelled the Apostle of Emroy as feeling of rage started to fill her heart.
The silhouette turned its head towards Rory.
« Oh ? I keep getting more and more surprises tonight. First it was the two fine gentlemen over here, and then you suddenly appear from behind a rock. Have you made yourself a new group of followers ? From what I remember, things did not end well the last time you did so. »
« Rory, what the fuck is going on ? »
Marc's voice was tense, his finger hovering near the trigger of his FAMAS.
« Go warn the others ! I'll deal with her in the… »
Rory was not able to finish her sentence as the large shadow passed over their heads.
« It looks like you are too late once again, laughed the silhouette as it started to spin its large white scythe. Now, my dearest sister, shall we dance one last time ? »
The long cable had been rolled out all the way to the cave and covered in dust, making everything look like nobody had come to disrupt the nest.
« Jenkins, what's the status of the explosives ? » launched the Lieutenant after concealing the last few meters of the cable.
« Everything good here. We're ready to… »
But the American's reply was cut short by the sudden terrified scream of a Dark Elf.
« Dragon ! »
In confusion, everyone turned their look towards the sky, only to see a humongous shadow landing at the edge of the gigantic stone cliffs. No one could move as it let out a terrifying roar, angered to see the sanctuary of its nest defiled by such creatures.
« Spread out ! Spread out ! » screamed Travis while the beast started to lower itself into the crater.
The soldiers all started to run in different directions, diving behind the few pieces of cover that existed within the crater. Only one daring Dark Elf remained standing, defying the Dragon on its own ground. With a shaky hand, the Elf reached for his blade and, with a rage full scream, charged the beast head on with all the energy of despair.
However, it only took one slap from the remaining giant arm to send the frail body flying towards the cliff, killing the swordsman on impact. All it had taken were only a few seconds.
« Holy shit ! »
« Shoot the eyes ! Shoot the eyes ! »
« Get a fucking launcher ready ! »
Everyone was screaming at this point. So much so that nobody could identify precisely who was saying what. And the situation was only getting more confusing as the bangs from gunfire echoed inside the enclosed space, creating a deafening sound to all of those not wearing any kind of hearing protection.
Like the two previous times, the beast shifted positions to protect his vision from all the impact. But if in the past, the goal of the maneuver was to keep the soldiers out of the range of the Dragon's dangerous attacks, here the context was much more different. The soldiers were already in range and only had one narrow way out. And it had understood it too.
Slowly, it started to spin around, using its tail and its wings to strike blindly. At each hit, the scales always ended up only a few meters away from one of the soldiers. If that carried on, it would not be long until it managed to get lucky. And it was clear that there was no surviving that.
Among the chaos, Anthony had found himself behind a boulder alongside Frederico, Yao and another Dark Elf.
« We need to get a launcher ! » yelled the private to be heard over the sound of the two soldiers firing to keep the beast away.
« Are you mad ? We're too fucking close ! It's suicide ! » replied the Lieutenant in a way he had not used since Italica.
The exchange being in English, none of the two Dark Elves understood a word.
« What are they talking about ? » asked the Elf to Yao.
« I do not know, she replied as loudly as she could to not have her words drown in the noise. Maybe they are talking about their tube weapons. »
Suddenly, the large tail passed overhead, forcing everyone to duck to avoid being hit.
« We need to use those tubes ! » he launched as he stood back up.
But before he could start running towards his goal, Yao tightly grabbed his sleeve.
« Cro ! Are you really thinking about using them ? We have been told not to touch them ! »
« We do not have any choice ! »
Without hesitation, Cro dashed out towards the weapons that were lying on the ground near the entrance. Luckily, no attack from the Dragon came his way as its attention was more focused towards other parts of the crater. He was so focused on his own target that he could not hear the background noise anymore. Those tubes were going to be the weapon with which he would save his people.
At first, the tube he tried to pick up felt way heavier than it looked. With some strength, he managed to lift it up and place it on his shoulder, trying to replicate what he had seen himself the day before. The Dragon was a target that he could not miss. All he needed to do now was pressing down on the big red button and everything would be over.
« By Hardy, I shall avenge my kin ! Die, you scaled monstrosity ! »
But nothing happened.
The Dragon was still standing strong, and it seemed that despite using its arm as protection for its eyes, it was far from blind. Slowly, it started to turn around, an amber glow getting brighter in its mouth.
His eyes started to dart around weapon. There was a lot of text written all over the green surface, but he could not decipher a single character, leaving him to attempt pressing the button again and again, his legs paralyzed by fear.
« Why is it not working ? Why cannot I… »
« Cro ! No ! »
Yao's scream was in vain as the large flame consumed the Dark Elf whole. It only left behind a silhouette trying to put itself out, yelling in pain as its clothes and skin started to melt. He was silenced a few seconds later with a single snap of the Dragon's jaw.
Almost all guns fell silent as the soldiers watched the scene unfold. The shock lasted for a long time, but faded away when the beast turned back around, roaring with what seemed newly found confidence.
« Fire ! Fire ! Fire, dammit ! » yelled Mary as she slammed shut the access door to the feed tray of her machine gun.
Thunder rang once again inside the crater, forcing the Fire Dragon back into its defensive position. However, it was more daring as it tried to step towards those that were still fighting on.
As it focused away from them, it gave enough time for Anthony and Frederico to shove some of the few remaining magazines they had into their rifles.
« Come on, don't you have any plan, Lieutenant ? »
« No I fucking don't ! We need to get it to focus away from us for like one minute. Is it too fucking much to ask for ? »
The American turned his frustrated look towards Yao. She had not said a single word since Cro's failed attempt, blank eyes pointed towards the few things that remained of her friend.
« Hey ! Got any ideas ? »
But she did not reply. It was difficult to accept that Crow as no longer alive. She could at least be glad that by trying to do what was right, he joined the light of Hardy as a hero.
The light…
« Come on ! Tell me you have something on your mind ! »
« The light ! »
« What ? »
Yao had sprung back to life as she connected the dots in her head.
« Sir Moreau, give me one of your bright torches ! »
Her voice made it clear that this was not a request. It was an order.
« What ? Why ? »
« Some members of the tribe that have encountered the Dragon while I was away told me that it is attracted to bright lights at night. If I… »
« This is suicide ! Are you crazy ? »
« I have lead you into this mess. I prefer sacrificing myself than having all your men die. This might be suicide, but it shall also be my redemption. »
« No ! I'm not ordering anybody to kill themselves ! »
« If you do not give me this torch, none will leave this volcano alive ! »
« She's right, Lieutenant. » commented Frederico, trying to force his superior to take a quick decision.
« Merde merde merde merde merde ! Ok fine ! Take it and be sure to get us enough time to rush into the cave. »
Anthony took his last remaining flare and handed it over to the Dark Elf as Frederico explained how to get it to work.
« Do not worry. It has been an honor fighting alongside you and your men, Lieutenant Moreau. »
With confidence, she stood up and started to sprint out of cover towards the opposite from the cave entrance. And after fumbling around with the tube, a large and bright red cloud sparked in her hand.
« Hey ! Hey ! I am here ! Look at me ! Let the others go ! »
The glow projected itself on all the surfaces. No one could not notice her. Especially the Dragon.
Once again, the beast turned around, now focused on the bright dot and the creature handling it. It was still seeing the other creatures starting to run away in the corner of its vision, but they were no longer of importance.
« Come on ! We're out of here ! Go go go ! » yelled Anthony as he started dashing towards the exit, all the other soldiers following him.
« Oh Hardy, started Yao in one last prayer, lord of the Underground, hostess of the dead and mistress of these lands. I call upon you to give me strength and success. Please allow my fellow to live another day at your service. »
As the beast approached, she knew there was no point in asking for her own survival. She had already accepted her death. In only a few moments, she would join all her friends she had lost.
The Dragon raised its arm and Yao took one last deep breath.
« Rocket ! »
But the only things that came were a yell from a young girl and a large explosion on the beast's back.
Hello and thanks for reading the thirtieth chapter of Gate : Opération Marteau de Justice.
Now's the moment you've been probably all waiting for. The Dragon fight. There's also a bit more development for Delilah's storyline. I hope you're enjoying all of it, but to be honest I'm more excited about what will come after this. I have prepared some twists that you might not expect.
Apart from that, I do not have much to add here to be honest. My school year will finish in a few weeks so I had a bit more homework to do than usual, which might explain the shorter chapter. I'll shift over to my other story for my next chapter and I hope I'll be able to write a bit more during the upcoming holidays.
Anyway, thanks a lot again for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter.