The Raguna Expedition
Chapter 4
"Come in!" the King said as the convoy arrived, "Ah! Faithful Marine!"
"My King." Camus bowed slowly, since he had the wound in his lower body, "I am here."
"Your name is Camus, is it not?" the King asked,
"Aye, sire." Camus mumbled, "I am your soldier."
"Camus... may I ask who is this with you?" the King said, seeing Mikoto next to him,
"This is Mikoto of Fennith Island, sire." Camus responded, "She wanted to see you."
"Oh..." the King mumbled, "What for, my lady?" he turned to the young woman,
"I want to know why there was panic and death on my island." Mikoto answered bluntly,
"That is something I cannot answer." The King grumbled,
"Bull!" Mikoto yelled, "I want my neighbors to return safely back to the island!"
"You can help..." the King said, "But I don't know if you are up to it..."
"Try me." Mikoto grumbled,
"Would you care to join the new Greater Marine Force?" the King asked,
"But sire..." Camus said, "There is no 'Greater Marine Force'."
"There is now..." the King said, "Captain Camus..." he smiled,
"Sire.." Camus stood in shock, "Are you sure?"
"You have potential.. boy." the King said, "And you will have my own nephew in your ranks."
That split second, Ivan stepped in, clad in splendid armor.
"Ivan!?" Camus said in shock, "Why are you..."
"Camus.." Ivan said rather worriedly, "We need to save my brother."
"What is this?" Mikoto said as she saw Ivan's glowing eyes,
"Ivan is a prodigy." the King said proudly as he paraded around him, "The first of his kind.. A true Earthmate Warrior.."
"What?" Camus stepped back as Ivan neared him,
"Are you scared, Camus?" Ivan chuckled, "I am your ally... I am under the crown."
"What did they do to you?" Camus gulped,
"They freed me.. Camus." Ivan smiled, but it wasn't a smile a happiness, but more of one of a psychopath, "They unleashed my power."
"Stand back!" Mikoto said and dashed with her blade,
"Hah!" Ivan blocked it with his dagger, and with incredible speed put her on her back.
"Argh.." Mikoto growled in pain,
"You will save Ivan's brother." the King ordered, "Ivan will help you of course.."
"Aye... sir." Camus said reluctantly,
"Mikoto, I'm sure you're on the wagon." the King asked the warrior,
"Aye..." Mikoto stood, "I am on the bandwagon."
"You will have two other Marines with you." the King said as the two said Marines appeared,
"These men are very experienced, they will make a valuable asset in the Greater Marine Force."
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"Raguna.." Ethelberd said as he saw the Earthmate's picture, "Damn you..."
"That is the next Earthmate, sire." the Leader informed.
"Send the experts..." Ethelberd growled, "We're taking this mongrel... alive."
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"Ah..." Raguna said as he entered his home, "What a rough day.." he mumbled, not knowing the danger creeping up on his household.
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"Black Dragoons..." the Leader said as his force was the first to arrive to Trampoli, "You know what to do... Capture target... Eliminate hostiles."
"Mess with the best... Die like the rest." one of the soldiers chanted,
"Yes... Exactly." the Leader chuckled as they all quickly advanced.
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"Alright, Marines.." Camus told his squad, "Raguna is a brunette Earthmate and is our prime target... He was also my friend, so I may be able to convince him to come with us without the use of force."
"Alright." one of the Marines responded,
"Let's do this." Ivan nodded, and they were off.
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"Shh..." one of the Dragoons told his partner as they walked down the business district, "This is heavily populated... no noise."
"Roger." the partner said and they continued prowling around.
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"Sir! Noradian Marines Detected!" a Dragoon soldier alerted the Leader as he saw their enemies walk in Raguna's farm.
"Alright." the Leader said, "Dragoons! Take positions behind the house!" he ordered, "Do not fire until I give the order!"
"Aye!" the soldiers said and ran to take positions, then aimed their handgonnes.
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"Shh..." Ivan raised his hand, hearing the shuffling of the Dragoon soldiers in front of them, "Everybody down!" he yelled,
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The Noradians dove to the ground as the iron balls from the handgonnes raced over them,
"Hostiles!" Camus yelled, stood up, and fired his crossbow, scoring no hits.
"Behind that wall!" Ivan pointed out,
"Got him!" a Marine came up and fired his crossbow,
"Argh!" a groan yelled,
"What's going on!?" Iris, who was awake, raced out of the door, "Who are you!?"
"Get down!" Camus yelled as another volley of fire shot towards them,
"DWAH!" a marine was struck in the thigh, he instantly capitulated.
"Ah!" Iris hid behind the door in fear.
"I'm here!" Raguna came out in breastplate and sword, "What's this!?"
"There's Raguna!" Ivan said, "Let's get him!"
"Get the target!" the Leader yelled, and some of his soldiers raced from behind the house.
"Get them!" Camus yelled and the Noradians fired a volley of bolts,
"AUGH!" a soldier yelled as he was struck in the calf, he fell to the ground.
"Hey!" Raguna fought of one of the soldiers, parrying with him in a duel,
"Watch out!" Camus yelled and ran to missile drop kick a soldier who was sneaking up from behind.
"Oof!" that soldiers yelled as he crashed into the wall,
"Are you a fool!?" Mikoto screamed, "You could've gotten shot!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"Woah!" Ivan said as he avoided another ball,
"Hah!" a Dragoon came out and started fighting the Mikoto, "Take this!"
"Hyah!" Mikoto blocked with her own blade, "HRAH!" she did a clean cut to the soldier's thigh,
"AHH!" the Dragoon screamed,
"HYAH!" Mikoto finished him off with a stab in the throat, "Too easy!"
"HRAH!" another Dragoon came from behind and gave a destructive blow to the back of the warrior's head with the butt of his handgonne.
"AUGH!" Mikoto screamed and fell to the ground,
"Die!" that same Dragoon pulled out his blade and was about to finish her,
"Not on my watch!" a Marine said and shot him in the shoulder with his crossbow,
"Argh!" the Dragoon yelled, then turned to the Marine, "Let's go, Noradian!"
"Ready when you are!" the Marine said and the two started circling..
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"Camus!?" Raguna said as he saw the youth's face, "What are you doing here!?"
"I'm here to save you!" Camus said as he blocked a blow from one of the Dragoon soldiers, "The King of Norad needs you!"
"What!?" Raguna pushed back another enemy, "Why me!?"
"I don't know! Ask Ivan!" Camus responded,
"My brother is here!?"
"Yep!" Ivan said as he finished off a Dragoon soldier, "King Gilbert needs you for something special!"
"What is wrong with you?" Raguna asked as he saw his sibling's glowing blue eyes, "Why are your-"
"I'll explain late-" Ivan paused as a wagon slowly rolled up the bridge from the South District,
"Huh?" the Leader said, "What's this?"
The wagon's huge back door opened and soldiers stormed out.
"Those are.." Camus mumbled, "Noradians! Alright!"
"Men!" the general said as he rode up on his horse, "Retrieve the Earthmates!" he pointed at Ivan,
"Wait a minute..." Camus said to himself, "Those are Heavy infantry."
"There he is!" a Norad soldiers said as his Earthmate Locator beeped at Raguna,
"Take him!" the general repeated, and the armor clad soldiers marched to do so.
"Fire!" the remaining Dragoon force yelled and fired their handgonnes, all scoring direct hits.
"What the?!" the general said as his heavily armored soldiers fell to the ground, "What is that magic!? Grr... Take them out!" he ordered his crossbow men,
"Fire!" the crossbow men yelled and unleashed their volley unto the last Dragoons, killing all but one.
"Augh..." the survivor fell to the ground nonetheless, since he was struck in the gut.
"Go with them, Raguna." Camus assured the Earthmate as the soldiers surrounded him, "The King will protect you."
"Alright.." Raguna heeded the words of his friend, "But can you take care of Iris while I am gone?" he turned back to see his wife, who walked out of his house.
"Raguna?" Iris asked, "What... what is going on?"
"I'm just gonna go with my brother to meet the king." Raguna reassured, "I'll be back."
"Sir..." a soldier walked up to the Noradian general, "My Species Locator is off the charts.." he mumbled as the device beeped loudly,
"What in..." the general looked to where the contraption was pointing...
It was Iris...