December 24th, 2016 of the Gregorian calendar
Johnson munched on his chocolate bar as Jingle bell rock played on the bar speaker, the most played song on the radios at this time of year. After fighting at Alnus, Italica, Tuba, Safria, and Belma the 1st battalion deserved a small break and staying at Fort Cluster was nice. The bar was a popular place for both the American serviceman and native inhabitants to spend their pay on alcohol. "You guys wanna story?" Asked Cork, "Go at it." Replied Collins as he gulped down a shot of Jack Daniel's.
"So it's Senior year, 2012, and it's almost Christmas break. I'm sitting in biology when some guy comes up is like "hey, ask Jenny out on a date!" I tell him to fuck off but double dog dares me." Zhao rolled his eyes, "Let me guess, some fat bitch that smells like fish?" The former shock his head. "Naw, naw, naw... she was the school slut." Everyone threw their hands up and shook their heads. "Of fucking course." Says Johnson while he facepalmed, "This girl was quite the case, redhead, cheerleader, old man with a 50k salary and, wore so much makeup you'd think she was a fucking clown." "What was here body count?" The blonde G.I took a drag and blew out smoke from his mouth before answering. "Dunno, rumor had it was in the hundreds." Collins snickered, "Sounds straight outta 90's movie." "Ight, then once class ends I get up and walk over to the end of the hallway to her locker where she is. I greet her and go, "Hi, I'd go on a date with ya." But she gives me the biggest 'Ah hell naw' look you can imagine!" The men began to all chuckle at the mental image. "I have a boyfriend already Anthony!" He says in the most stereotypical high school girly voice he could. "What did you say?" Zhao asks and Cork gives the biggest shit eating grin Johnson had ever seen. "Well I didn't know he had a thing for syphilis dispensers."
The guys at once let out the loudest laughter you could imagine, not caring for those who were staring at the men. Johnson tried to speak but his mumbling morphed into wheezing. "W-what happened next?!" Pestered Collins all while he wiped tears from his eyes. "Her boyfriend the next day confronts me in gym, turns out he was the captain of the football and the only reason they were because was being he was giving he whole packs of Pepsi." The men again laughed from the ridiculous story. "Did you two fight?" Giggles the drunken Zhoa who covers his mouth to prevent himself from getting too loud. "No...I didn't get to chance to kick his ass." It was now Collins turned to question the grenadier. "Why was that?" Then Cork despite haven drank a bud light stopped smiling and his face hardened. He was dead silent, soon the three men had also stopped smiling realizing the change in the mood. "He walked out of class, that was the last I saw if him. Didnt hear of him or her after that."
He drank the last of his bottle and chuckled quietly. "Who has any story 'bout girls?" He asked before hiccuping, Zhao and Collins shook their heads. "Parents wanted me to marry a nice Chinese girl who got a good education." Answered Zhao, "But there aren't any in goddamn Idaho." "I dated a couple times before I met my wife, but I don't really have any stories." Added Collins, leaving only Johnson. "Nope, I was always focusing on my classes." "Dude, your telling that you can join the army and be perfectly fine with the chance that you could get gutted, pelted by arrows, crushed by a boulder, turned to ash by a dragon, and turned into a frog by a witch but you can't get laid?" Said Cork teasingly, lightly elbowing him. "Fuck off." But Cork was stubborn. "Come on! There has to be a woman you like." Then as fate would have it, the door to the tavern opened, Johnson turning to see none other then the same woman he encountered at Tungri.
She scanned the establishment before setting her sights upon him and giving a small wave. "Talk to her." Cork half whispered, he groaned and begrudgingly go up to talk with her. "Hello." He greeted, "Ello!" She mimicked. "It's been a while hasn't it?" "Four month since you free me." She wore wholly brown coat with tall black boots that made the freezing cold bearable. "I have thought of you, and want to say thank you." He have admittedly almost forgotten their meeting, realizing that he'd inadvertently freed her from a life of servitude. "W-well your welcome, Ellia." She continued, "I heard wolfhound are here from friend." The neko let out a quiet and awkward laugh while she rubbed the back of her neck. "My English not very good." "I've heard worse, just needs little more practice." Then there was a awkward pause, the two simply looking at each other. He saw that despite the simple clothing she looked not bad actually, pretty at that. "I have surprise for you Micol!" She then grabbed his hand and gently pulled him outside, the snickering of his mates heard from inside.
Instantly he was hit in the face by a cold gush of wind, causing him to shiver. "Oh I sorry, but I give a gift!" To her right was a human with bright green feathers on her hands and strangely bird legs carrying a cardboard box with pictures of Santa all over. "Open it Micol!" She said giddily, like a child waiting to open her present with her tail waging furiously. "Oh, thank you!" "Here you go!" The bird girl squawked and the G.I grabbed the box and opened it. He put the box under his arm and pulled the item out with his other, revealing a cloth with little details etched in the fabric ranging from the sun over a wheat field to people dancing around a fire, a genuine Falmart blanket. "This is great, where do you get this?!" She let a cute little giggle, "I make it silly! Sowed it one month but couldn't find you." He was flabbergasted, he didn't think a girl would think of him and it gave him a warm feeling in his chest. "T-t-thank you, I very much appreciate it." He stuttered and mental cursed. "As you say, merry Chisma!" It was his turn to luagh, "It's Christmas." "My mistake...merry Christ-mas. Big festival ." Johnson nodded. "Yeah, we back home drink eggnog, listen to music, build snowman, make Snow angels, and give presents to those we care."
"I hear of that, I also know of important tradition." She says while confusing the American. "And what's that?" Her lips formed a massive, toothy smile. "Look up." He didn't understand until he did and saw non other then a mistletoe attached on a string wrapped around a string, turning around to see Anthony-fucking-Cork holding it putting a hand to his mouth to prevent himself from bursting out laughing with Collins grinning and Zhao with a hand held camera recording. The poor lad turned pink and looked just in time for his and Ellia's lips to connect, for a second electricity shot across his body.
When she pulled back he was a deep shade of scarlet and looked more like a tomato then anything else. "I-I go home now, goodbye!" She stutters and quickly walks away with her friend, cheeks blushing. Johnson turned to his friend who now startled cackling uncontrollably. "I-I have two things to say, first go fuck yourself..." "And Twooo?" The blonde man slurred, "And two...did you plan this?" The later nodded with a stupid grin on his face. The smile was contagious and he couldn't help but grin as well. "If that's the case then you're hell of a wingman..."
Dianeos 25th, 687 of the Imperial calendar
As the sun rose high over the Imperial capital as it's people awoke from their slumber and went on about their day, the war barely now a footnote in their minds. The Other-worlders' attacks had lessened but still was apart of everyday life for the population. Parents stood in line for very expensive bread to feed their families, children draped in heavy clothing running around in packs, merchants advertised their products, Imperial soldiers patrolled the streets while men in the Wyvern Corps patrol the sky above. It would have been a normal day had it not been the erratic chiming of bells warning of danger.
Soldiers ran to their positions and civilians panicked in the streets. Wyvern riders held on tight as their animals took off from their aermodos in hast, some unfortunately not escaping the explosions that soon followed. A lone messenger was flying on a patrol when he spotted a formation of five giant wyverns headed their way and fast, relaying the warning using telepathic magic. The riders that protected Sadera had heard stories of Iron wyverns that could destroy legions and wipe out whole grex' but never been able to engage them until now. The elite 1st grex was made of the most experienced and renowned riders and it's sole duty was to protect the capital from any threats, something it had failed to do and the men were eager to wash away the stain on their honor.
For twenty minutes, nothing happened as wyverns flew all over the city and it's permitter with no enemy in sight. Was it a false flag? Where the big wyverns really coming to Sadera? Did the messenger mistake something for something else? Was he actually a spy? Those thought filled the heads of many until one wyvern in a explosion fell out of the sky. Soon wyverns were dropping like flies and some managed to where the stars of death were coming from. These god like weapons were coming from the west and the surviving commanders lead their men forward to attack the little dots across the horizon. Luckily for the riders the stars stopped though the carnage was just beginning. The iron wyverns could be heard screeching, letting a short and loud brrrt sound the signified the death a wyvern and it's rider. These animals were faster then even the fastest rider and could attack them much farther then they could throw their lances or fire crossbows.
These wyverns successfully kept the 1st grex away and the giant wyvern of death appeared, flying low enough to be perfectly seen by the people below. They flew in a v-shape with about fifteen smaller ones escorting. Their long wings were angled backwards with two massive bulges on each wing, the body looking like a cigar and worst of all it made a blood-curdling shriek straight from the underworld as they flew by, their bellies opening up. Many ran from the impending doom while others were frozen in fear while others prayed to the gods but the death never came.
Instead, millions of papyrus came failing down onto the roof tops and streets alike. The population looked on with curiosity as the iron wyvern then climbed and flew away, ending the battle just under an hour. They huddle in groups around the papyrus, not sure if it was dangerous or not but inevitably some pick them up and those who can read, tell all that are around the words that have been etched in.
These mysterious papyrus read, "Merry Christmas people of Sadera! Though we are at war we give you these message to the general population and the governmental body leads you, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our god's son Jesus by giving each other gifts. We give you the gift of knowledge, the knowledge that your losing the war. Hundreds of thousands have been killed for the greedy ambitions of the few, and countless villages burned by the Imperial army in a futile effort to stop us. The Imperial army invaded our land, raped, murdered, and stole from us and we will not stop until the Empire is on it's knees. The United States of America don't want to harm civilians and will treat you with respect and care, surrendering soldiers will be give food, water, good housing and more that will seem like luxury to you. We ask you demand your emperor Zorzal to negotiate with us to save your fathers, sons, husbands, lovers, brothers, cousins, and friends from certain death. The American people love peace but are fully capable of defending ourselves. We have lost very, very few and will not be defeated in battle. Surrender or die, peace or destruction, what will be your choice?"
December 28th, 2016 of the Gregorian calendar
Reed was quite happy, Operation Saint Nicholas was a success with not only the wyvern squadrons around the city destroyed, the propaganda leaflets had successfully been dropped over Sadera. It didn't shatter the pockets of resistance in the Dumas but it would weaken the moral of the enemy. The president was almost thrilled when the FRA starving and freezing surrendered, ending the almost month long guerrilla war in the glass peninsula though Reed didn't like much who long it took to track down the decentralized and spread out force who surprising was able to avoid detection for some time.
The Appia highway route through the Dumas was almost completely secured and once winter had passed then the construction workers wouldn't have to deal with common minus twenty degrees fahrenheit blizzards, avalanches, and Saderan raids. Once the rebuilt road was complete the movement of heavy equipment and troops was possible and the offensive could commence. Fifty-thousand infantry supported by three hundred armored vehicles, one hundred and eight planes, and fifty older but deadly MQ-1 drones would destroy the Imperial army in battle and race across the northern plains towards the capital whilst being the war to a swift conclusion. The eagle had mortally wounded the wyvern and was heading in for the kill...