The fog slowly rolled along the field as a man watched it in anticipation, the morning light still only an hour away, and not long after would come a large host of enemies from the hills ahead of him to the southeast. "The calm before the storm," He muttered, sitting on a hill as he looked down towards a contingent of troops that were in the area. Among them was an old man with a set of silver armor, shouting orders as the men were getting into position. They had been preparing for this moment for a few days now, despite how little time they had to prepare for the invasion, but now everything seemed almost ready for a jerry rigged plan.
"So you're up here now Oliver," came a voice, making the man turn to see a woman with silver hair walking up to him, her blue eyes looking over what would be a battlefield in a few hours. "How ready do you think we are?"
"About as ready as one can be given over a week's notice on the approach of a massive army and with little time to muster troops," Oliver responded, looking back at the field again as he held up his hand towards the hills. "However, this is the most we can do, so we can only hope for the best and the opportunity of surprise. 'To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.'"
"Sun Tzu, right?" The woman responded, resting her arm on her sword as she looked over the field. "You've been quoting things all day since our last conversation, and General Yamada's been antsy over the situation since you made your decision on the matter. You're sure this plan will work?"
"Not in the slightest," Oliver responded with a chuckle, picking himself up as he dusted himself off. Then with a sigh he held up his hand, their shadows seeming to shake as he looked at it. "But your brother wants results after that last conversation, and who am I to disappoint him now if I don't use all that's in my power for this moment?"
"Just remember to not overdo it," the woman responded, patting his shoulder before she turned and headed off. "I'll see if Itsune has gotten into position, and if she's got the plan down proper. The last thing we need is for her group to charge in without orders."
"They'll be fine if you simply keep talking to them on it, Elia," Oliver responded, but the woman was already gone. Then, with a sigh he turned back to the hills, his mind going over the plan again before he looked at his hand, a small pool of shadow starting to form in it as he sighed. "Right then, time to see if we can start the foundations of an empire..."
-One Year Ago-
A man awoke with a start, his gaze in a state of panic as he looked around his surroundings. He was in a lush forest, surrounded by trees and his body resting on a bush that held a group of white berries upon it. He pulled himself up as he started checking around him, soon finding a sheathed dagger with a black handle that he picked up, setting it on his side as he turned and began walking through the forest. He then stood up as he analyzed the trees around him: each of them looked similar to different kinds, some looking like oak, some like pine, while some had variations of both while others were of a type he couldn't exactly understand. All in all, however, it seemed like an unfamiliar area as he started to move slowly through it, his hearing catching the sounds of some different animals as he moved along the treeline.
He then shook his head as he went through his memories, making sure he could properly think as he also tested his legs, squatting down into some stretches as he started to think. The last thing the man could remember, however, was the final battle he partook in, and the end game that it led to, before seeing nothing but darkness. Before he could think any further, however, a sound behind him caused him to jump up from his stretch, turning to see a small creature running out of a bush beside him and up the nearby tree. He then sighed, soon looking over the area as he kept his hearing focused on his surroundings.
'All in all, everything is in working order and I have no idea as to where I am... Well then, let's hope that I made it to where I was intending, Myrkr.' the man thought as his gaze moved through the forest, soon hearing something similar to drums as he walked towards what looked like a clearing, his left hand resting on the dagger's hilt as he moved through the trees, pushing against them to get his pace to quicken. He was getting steadily closer to the edge of the clearing when he caught his foot on a root and tripped, both of his hands rising up almost instinctively and smashing into the ground, stopping him from face planting on the grass currently staring him dead in the face. The drumming was louder now, making him look up from his position as he stumbled back up, seeing what looked to be a village that looked medieval in design, yet massive in magnitude, making the man smile as he started walking towards it. He then looked down at his attire, his military uniform looking to be ok for the most part, albeit as loose as it was when he had gotten it. It was to be expected, though, since the uniform itself was made for maneuverability over formality, so the fabric itself was made very loose and flexible.
The drums started to boom now as he continued looking over his uniform, causing him to look up to find that the area was just getting more and more lively past the buildings as he started heading towards the edge of the city, seeing a few guards at the main entrance of the area as he sidestepped over to a small alley path that was along the city, easily unnoticable if you did a quick look around and currently unguarded. 'So then, where exactly am I?' The man thought as he walked into the town, seeing decorations and what looked to be paper-like scales on a few of the windows, his gaze going over the rest before he had reached a large plaza, where he found where the drumming was coming from, along with the sounds of a flute and lute which were muffled until he entered. There were three people playing the instruments on a platform; a man, a woman, and a child as groups of people seemed to be having a festival as he walked through the area, his gaze overlooking the assortment of foods and what seemed to be toys as he looked over the area. He also noticed an old man sitting on a throne far to the left of where he entered, people walking up to him in a line as he seemed to talk to each about what the man guessed was their problems.
"Excuse me." came a stern voice, making the man turn to find a girl directly behind him. She had on a simple brown tunic, wearing a pair of brown pants that looked flexible and sturdy enough to give good protection. Her eyes, from how he could guess, seemed to be as blue as sapphires, with her hair a golden blond and wrapped together with a string holding it in place. He also noticed a patch on her left shoulder, an insignia that held a shield with twin swords crossing together, making him consciously stand straighter as she looked at him. "I'm sorry, but we can't allow weapons in the city at the time of the festival. I'll need to confiscate the weapon from you until the sun sets, where you can pick it up in the city guard's barracks."
"Oh, sorry about that." the man muttered as he undid the dagger and handed it to her. 'Well, it's definitely a realm where they've never heard of or seen me.' the man thought as he smiled to himself, the girl soon giving him a confused look as she took the dagger. "Where am I, exactly?"
"A foreigner, then? No wonder, and you better follow me if you want to know where to grab this thing." the girl spoke as she wrapped the dagger in a small cloth, soon walking off with the man following her. "You're in Emerial, both the heart and trade center of the Central lands, ruled by one of the nine kings."
"I see." the man spoke as he looked around the place in wonder before he noticed the sky. It was a far clearer blue than any he had seen before, and the sun seemed to be brighter as well. He took a big whiff of the air, his nostrils seeming to catch even the food to the far end of the plaza. 'The air is fresher here, as well. I really did make it to another realm.' the man thought as he noticed the woman stopping directly in front of a building, grabbing a quill and ink as she looked over at the man.
"Name?" the woman said as she looked dead into his eyes, his own gaze holding for a bit before he looked back to the dagger.
"Oliver." the man replied, the girl soon writing the name on the cloth before dropping it into the box, both soon hearing a clunk come from it as she turned back to him.
"Well then, Oliver, I hope you have a good time at our festival." the woman replied before Oliver only nodded and turned to walk off, his gaze returning to the plaza as he noticed the line to meet the man on the throne, probably their governor or king, thinning out as he decided on what to do.
'Well, I guess I can safely say that the final task was a success, Myrkr.' Oliver thought as he looked back around the place, seeing the happiness and the content of the people in this city. It may have been only a ruse, but he didn't see any in-fighting with the people at all, he didn't even see that many angry looks that seemed sincere. 'Guess this is as good of a place as any to retire to, and given all the things I've done in my life, I think it's worth it.'
Oliver looked back at the man seated on the throne, seeing him get up and walk from his throne down to a path heading to a large castle that viewed over the plaza as the people began moving the throne to make space for one of their events. Oliver, however, had different plans as he walked over to the big part festival, a smile on his face as he looked back up at the sun to see it hanging high above them, more than enough time for him to enjoy the remainder of it.
A young man sat within the confines of his room while overlooking a map of the city as a large soldier stood beside him. The man had hair of medium length, a beard and mustache growing to where it linked with his sideburns, it's color a dark silver despite the man's eyes and features looking a bit younger than the soldier beside him. At the moment, though, his focus was on a paper he had been given with writing over the current situation.
"The reports spoke of spies entering and leaving the castle easily, it was also confirmed from what the one we caught had said, and there aren't that many places for them to come in that aren't guarded..." the man spoke, his gaze viewing the map, looking at the lines representing the wall of the castles and beyond as he searched for anything that could be a possible entry, his eyes soon resting on a small break on the wall that had a red mark on it. "This break on the wall for the map, is it a faulty drawing for the current situation?"
"No, Prince Arlus, it's a part of the wall that broke during the last time the beast herd ran through the city last month." the soldier replied, the man only staring at it as he set the letter down. Then, picking up his pen he pulled out a blank parchment from the desk, writing out instructions.
"Tell the barracks commander to have men on that location around the clock, not just on times that the men are working on it," Arlus spoke as he finished writing the letter, handing it over to the soldier as they nodded. "Also, have fifteen royal soldiers guard that location, and punish any that start slacking off. If they all slack off, their food is cut in half, if a few slack off, then those few have to double their training regime."
"Of course, sire," the soldier replied as they took the letter, soon leaving quickly as Arlus looked to his window, hearing the commotion in the plaza from his room. He had a good view of it, his own room standing on the third floor of the castle itself, but still able to hear the voices of the people.
'There shouldn't be any problems, given the situation, but it's still troubling that spies have decided to appear now of all times.' Arlus thought as he stood out of his chair, soon walking to the door to his room as he pondered his own moves. 'I need to make sure these things don't bother me too much, but the question is how to deal with these current issues...'
Oliver looked around at the festival in awe, his gaze overlooking all the food around the place as his stomach started to growl. 'Hell, guess that means I'm starving.' Oliver thought, his gaze resting on one of the food stands that seemed to be holding a large slab of red meat, his stomach feeling as if it was going to start burning through and out of him as he walked over to the stand. He then noticed the language on top of the stand before he tried reading it, his memories trying to pinpoint a certain dialect. 'Not Latin, Hellenic, English or Germanic. Not on a form of Earth from how the language is written different from what I know, either.'
Oliver then looked at another store, seeing a similar dialect on the board over it as he listened to the people around him, still hearing the voices speaking in clear English, despite what was written. It was still confusing him as he walked through the area, making his way to a small alley in between the two stores before he entered it, trying to wrap his head around the setting. A world where he could understand the people here, yet he couldn't understand the lettering around the place.
As he made it halfway into the alleyway as his mind continued to think through the possibilities, however, he soon heard a chuckle come from behind him, echoing over the festival as he listened to it. "You could be sitting down while pondering it instead of strolling and find no answer to why without help." came a voice, making him turn to find an old robed man behind him with a cane, his left a dark blue and his right a bright red as the two continued to walk before stopping around the edge of the alley, soon seeing another area full of decorations, but with people in this street. "Looks as if you made it safe and sound."
"More or less, Reginhard." Oliver replied as he looked at the man. "I'm guessing you're not actually here and are currently back at the castle then."
"Yes, and it took quite a bit of power to finally find you after so long, though from how you look it doesn't seem to have changed you much like it has for the others." the old man replied, his form seeming to shake as he began to fade as Oliver noted the words the man had said. 'So long' meaning that the old man had been searching for him through his own abilities for a while, putting more questions into his head as the man continued. "I'm sorry to leave abruptly but I only had enough power left to ensure you that we're still around, I'll try to make contact again when the sun sets. Hopefully the darkness of the night will help with our connection."
"Very well, but don't try overexerting yourself any more than you have to, would hate to see such an asset fall." Oliver spoke as he walked back out of the alley as the man faded, his ears soon catching the sound of breaking glass, making him turn and walk through the area as his eyes caught sight of a tavern, inside a man sitting at the bar speaking to the barkeep, who seemed to be old from the white beard he held, but looking more than toned enough to put many soldiers to shame.
"I'm telling you, the way the packs of monsters have been moving are far different from the ordinary movement patterns." the old man spoke as Oliver looked around while listening to him, soon seeing the cause of the shattered glass. a young man was laying his head on one of the tables with a broken bottle beside it, making Oliver sigh as he turned and sat at the bar beside the old man. "Something big is coming that's startling the smaller packs, and is causing the bigger ones to change hunting grounds."
"I'll see if any guards will pass this information higher up and send word around town to get prepared for anything, even if it's only a whim." replied the barkeep before the old man nodded, soon getting up and walking out of the tavern as the keep looked over to Oliver. "Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"
"Do you accept service helping out in return for food if the person doesn't have any money?" Oliver asked as he turned his head to the barkeep, who only nodded. Oliver then sighed in relief as he felt his stomach rumbling to it. "I'll take some water and whatever is the best meat to eat, and pay for it via manual labor in the bar."
"Very well then, you'll work as a table and dish cleaner for the next three days of the festival, since the number of people who will come should be more than enough." the barkeep spoke as he picked up a glass and pitcher, soon pouring some water out before placing it in front of Oliver. Oliver just stared at the water confused, seeing the clear liquid in front of him as he kept his gaze on it. "Just be sure to wash your face and arms after you finish eating, don't want to go scaring off the nicer customers from a guy who looks like he lives in the fields."
Oliver only nodded as he grabbed the glass and took a sip of the contents, the taste of the water far cleaner than he expected as he pondered on it. However, his mind was focused on something else as he sipped his drink, trailing off to memories where he was still learning in his own way as people conversed around him...
whelp, here's my first story in a long time, mainly due to an idea that came into my head that has only grown and shaped itself further as time passed. I hope people can start to like my story, and that some review the story so I can to see what I did wrong with the first and future chapters, though it's possibly because the first two are so short... oh well, I'll work out the kinks later, for now I finish moving stories into here and fixing up other problems.
Till then, this is Ron signing out.