While I apologize for the delay in new content, I have spent much time dedicated to planning what I wish to write next and how to continue this story. However, after some consideration, I've decided that my primary concern should be re-writing the chapters I am dissatisfied with. Of course, as I am sure you are aware (unless you are new here, in which case welcome) The first three chapters were written some time ago, and I have greatly improved since then. Since these chapters are about introducing the Ruskians, I've felt that making them as clear and accurate as possible is imperative.

After spending the next few hours wandering around the camp, the drums suddenly beat the assembly. Ivan ran towards the sound, passing men rushing to get their equipment in order before following him. The wide field, now filled with soldiers, was abuzz with activity, with officers shouting over the continuous beating of drums. While from the camp came a steady stream of men, who quickly made their way to their ¹Battalions before forming up with their fellows at attention. After several minutes of chaos, Ivan again caught sight of his Battalion's colours and ran towards them. Eventually, finding the Grenadier platoon and took his position at the head. He drew his spadroon and raised it to his shoulder as he stood much the same way as he did when his father gave him his award.

Then, the band began to play as his father rode ahead of all the various units with his staff on a brilliant white stallion. "Greetings, soldiers!" shouted Nikolai through a megaphone as he passed.

"Greetings, your Imperial Highness!" they replied in unison as he stopped in the center, facing the roughly seventy-thousand-strong Army.

"Now, as I'm sure you're all aware, our nation has been cut off from vital trade with our Germanic allies in Ebein, Troberg, and the whole of Neukkon!" Nikolai began. "So, to regain the economic advantage, the Tsar has called upon you, the brave sons of Ruskia, to go to a new world!"

"URA, URA, URA!" cheered the soldiers before Nikolai gestured for them to calm down.

"So, return to gather your equipment, for we leave at sunset!" he called before riding back the way he came, the ranks of soldiers cheering him as he left.

Once he disappeared back into the camp, Colonel Avgustin Alexeev rode before Ivan's Battalion. "Soldiers, I expect you to assemble before sunset," he began sternly, showing his disdain at them being late in forming up. "Officers, take it from here!" he commanded as he returned to camp while the rest of the unit followed behind him after being dismissed by their commanders and NCOs.

Once he was sure everything personal was packed, Ivan helped take down his tent before being loaded on one of the horse-drawn supply carts. When he finished packing his non-essential equipment, he proceeded to the field with the other officers. Ivan was now wearing his shako again to prepare for the evening. "So, it seems that you're in charge of the Grenadier platoon," said one as Ivan turned to the man who had spoken, whom he identified as a fellow Guard officer by the golden eagle shako plate, the tall black plume on top and the gold detail on the collar of his jacket.

The man quickly saluted him, and Ivan replied in kind. "Yes, I am Grand Duke Ivan Nikolaevich," he began as the man nodded in understanding. "Who are you?"

"Ah, the Grand Duke's son," he replied as he extended his hand. "I am Senior Lieutenant Antonov, your Imperial Highness."

"So I presume you are my replacement then?" asked Ivan as he shook it. After all, someone needed to take his previous position.

Antonov nodded once more. "Yes, your Imperial Highness."

Ivan stroked his chin in thought. "I'm sorry, but I don't recall seeing you before."

The man chuckled heartily in response. "Oh, I can understand why. You see, I only got here recently. As I was formerly in a different unit. But, after speaking with the Colonel, I was accepted."

Ivan gave him a questioning look. "What unit did you serve in before?"

"2nd Platoon, 3rd Battalion, 5th Grenadier Regiment," he replied as Ivan nodded. "So, I'm sure you can understand."

As Ivan recalled, the 5th Grenadiers' 3rd Battalion disbanded after losing their colours to a regiment of Kordish Horseguard during the battle of Bylowa. "Then how did you end up here?" he asked, genuinely curious how a man from a disgraced unit had ended up in the Guard. Well, not entirely disgraced, as that would only happen if the Regiment lost its Colonel's colour, and the whole unit in question would disband. Of course, there was no doubt the 5th Grenadiers would get the 3rd Battalion reformed at some point.

"I managed to rally the 2nd platoon, and we held up the attack long enough for the cavalry to arrive and drive off the enemy," he stated.

Ivan noted the award on his chest and nodded. "I see. Well, welcome to the Guard."

"Thank you, your Imperial Highness," he replied before saluting Ivan and walking away.

"So, I see you've met Sergei Ivanovich?" Ivan heard the distinctive voice of his commanding officer to his side, and he turned to see Colonel Alexeev stroll up to him at a leisurely pace with his short cane held in the crux of his arm, his sharp brown eyes fixed onto the Grand Duke. Beside him was a man he didn't recognize, wearing a fashionable cocked hat with a large black feathered plume, attired in the uniform of a General with a well-groomed black mustache.

"Indeed, Sir," Ivan began as he saluted them. "He seems to be quite the brave fellow,"

The Colonel kept his typical stiff expression. "So I have heard. But it remains to be demonstrated in our company," he stated as both watched the man in question.

Ivan took a deep breath. "I know it's none of my business, Sir, but why did you let him join?" asked Ivan without turning to him.

The older man sighed in response. "Because I owed his father a favour."

"I see," Ivan replied, unwilling to question him further as he knew well not to ask such things in public.

Suddenly, the Colonel turned to the young Grand Duke. "But enough about him," he began as Ivan faced him. "I wished to commend you for your bravery in person. It takes a good leader to be able to accomplish what you did."

Ivan nodded in response. "Thank you, Sir."

"Oh, and one more matter," he said before turning to the man beside him. "Your Imperial Highness, allow me to introduce Major General Lionoid Bykovsky, commander of our Brigade."

In response, the man stepped forward, and Ivan and the General exchanged salutes. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance General Bykovsky," he said, extending a hand.

General Bykovsky shook it, a grin on his face which met his dull grey eyes. "Please, the pleasure is mine, Grand Duke," he said before letting go. "Look at you. You've grown quite a bit since last I saw you," he told him, his smile turning into a frown. "I heard you were wounded."

Ivan nodded affirmatively, trying not to show his discomfort at being spoken to with this concern. "Indeed I was. However, as you can see, I have fully recovered," the Grand Duke replied as he tried to picture where he had seen this man before, as he seemed familiar. "Wait, have we met before?"

The man nodded and grinned. "I thought you wouldn't remember you were so young. Your father and I graduated from cadet school, and we kept in touch since, or at least, we used to," he said before clearing his throat, clearly wanting to shift topics for some reason that Ivan couldn't decipher. "Now, as much as I've enjoyed seeing you again, the Colonel and I have much to discuss this evening's events," he said before he saluted again, and the two men turned and marched away.

"That was...Odd," Ivan said to himself. "Perhaps I should see what Pyotr is up to?" with that, he nodded and began searching for his friend.

By sunset, the Army had finished packing and, after forming up, stood arrayed in a long column, with the General's staff at the head of it and the wagon train at the rear. The 4th Zlachny Life Guards took up position in the vanguard just behind the cavalry in the column. Ivan, standing at the head of the Grenadiers of the 1st Battalion. Similar to everyone else, it seemed; Ivan was both nervous and excited at the prospect of going to a new world. There were many possibilities, not all good, but he trusted his father and the Priests to get them there intact; so, when the order came to pray, he did as instructed, taking off his shako and kneeling. As he did, he could hear the deep voices of the priests carrying over the vast crowd. "O Deus, our eternal father. We ask that as we enter this world, Thou wilt protect us and That we may bring with us thy message of healing and bring our nation back to prosperity. These things we say and ask thee for, in the name of thy son, Dzhoshua, Amen," With that, he and everyone else stood up and watched with awe as a great, ethereal doorway appeared before them, large enough to fit at least a battalion at once.

"1st Life Guard Hussar Squadron, advance!" came the command as the cavalry started to move, and orders continued to move further down the line.

Then, Major Konstantin Dmitriev, his direct superior, turned to the 1st Battalion from his position at the front. "1st battalion, Zlachny Life Guards, to the front, quick march!" as soon as the order came, the drums began to beat the marching cadence, and as one, the unit marched forward as the band ahead of them played: "Farewell my Ruskia." As they drew closer to the portal, Ivan's anxiety only seemed to increase. However, he knew how to keep a straight face, ensuring his men didn't see how worried he was. That is until the unit ahead of them disappeared into the gold mist, and he was now the next in line, so, taking a deep breath, Ivan steadied himself long enough to pass through. But once inside, the Grand Duke immediately realized his fears were unjustified, as his mind and body felt consumed by gentle light. As much as he wished this spiritual lightness could have lasted longer, he soon found himself standing in what appeared to be a desert, filled only with shrubs and short grass that dotted the otherwise parched earth. The cavalry had begun to spread out to make room for the units yet to arrive, with several seen riding off, presumably to scour the area for signs of civilization.

In the meantime, the Major guided them to the side of the portal before turning to them. "1st Battalion, halt!" he commanded, the unit stopping nigh simultaneously. "Turn around!" the soldiers turned back to face the portal as Dimitriev made his way back to the front. "Officers, you can take it from here," he said before walking towards the brigade headquarters.

Ivan, understanding his superior's orders, turned to face his men. "Platoon, at ease!" he shouted as his men relaxed while keeping their general posture. "Alright, once I dismiss you, you may relax. But don't go too far. Dismissed!" with that, the unit dispersed. The majority only walked a short distance and decided to rest on the rocks or the ground.

After spending the next hour sitting on a rock as he watched the rest of the column march forth from the portal, the sound of hoofbeats drew Ivan from his stupor, and he turned to find the riders from earlier had returned. He watched with interest as they rode up to his father and spoke briefly with him before returning to their unit. Then, his father turned to one of his staff and said something to the man before he rode over to General Bykosky and the Colonel, who stood close by. The Staff Officer proceeded to speak to them before he rode off, and the Colonel mounted his swift brown mare and rode over to him. "Captain, rally your men! We need to get the Battalion back in formation!" he shouted before he rode over to the commanders of the 2nd Battalion. As much as Ivan wanted to ask what the commotion was. He had orders to fulfill.

So, jumping down from his perch, he quickly ran to where he had left his men. "Platoon, form up!" he commanded as his men sprung into action and prepared to receive their orders. After a series of commands and drills, the whole platoon stood arrayed in three ranks. While Ivan finished up with his unit, he turned to see that the other platoons formed up to his left, meaning the whole Battalion was now complete.

With this finished, he took up his position on the left side of the platoon with Sargent Major Pasha Solomenikov behind him before turning to face his front, just in time to see Major Dmitriev run ahead of them. "1st Battalion, by companies, form column!" he commanded, while Ivan and the other officers quickly moved to ensure no confusion spread in the ranks. Once formed up, Ivan's platoon, alongside the light platoon and the battalion command, was at the front while the other three *companies formed up behind. Then the Major took the position at the head of the command section.

For a moment, they waited, and Ivan watched with interest as Colonel Alexeev and General Bykovsky rode to the very front. While this happened, Ivan heard many heavy boots on the hard ground, and the young Grand Duke turned to see the 2nd Battalion take position behind them. "4th Zlachny Life Guards, to the front, quick march!" Colonel Alexeev commanded, and starting from the front; the Regiment began to move as the drums beat the marching cadence. (company: A company consists of two platoons standing beside each other in a column, with the elite platoons at the front of it and the command between them)

After marching for what seemed to be fifteen minutes, the formation turned onto what appeared to be a dirt road. There were also hoof prints embedded in it, telling Ivan this was likely the route the scouts took, and, after continuing on the path, they saw smoke rising in the distance. Suddenly, the Major ran ahead before turning and conducting the unit as he sang:

"Oh, you canopy, my canopy,

My new canopy,"

Soon enough, the entire column erupted with the cheerful tune, with many trying to keep themselves from laughing as one of the enlisted from the command began to dance ahead of the formation.

"Brand new canopy, all of maple

and lattice handiwork.

Through this porch, I will pass,

arm in arm with my sweet lass."

As they crested a hill, they caught sight of a large, fortified camp several minutes walk from where they were, surrounded by a palisade wall, with people seen coming out from it, presumably to see what all the commotion was.

"Here comes a fair maid

outside the newly-made gate.

Brand new gate made of pure oak

and lattice handiwork."

Once they were about halfway, Ivan could tell they were carrying weapons as the Sun's dying rays reflected off the metal of spear tips. It was now that Ivan understood why their commander had decided to sing, as he could see the confused faces of the men in red and black armour.

"She would let a falcon out,

off her right sleeve, he'll flutter out.

Fly on, falcon,

high and far!"

Now Ivan could see the black flames in the center of the red banners adorning the walls. In addition, the fact that, for whatever reason, their most armoured soldiers seemed to be the only ones not carrying weapons struck him as odd. These soldiers unarmed soldiers wore bone-white masks over their faces, with holes for the eyes and slits to breathe. To add further to this already intimidating appearance was the spiked brow of the helm they wore, which seemed to interlock with their masks, while their armed counterparts, on the other hand, wore no face covering and had no brow on their helmets. For some inexplicable reason, they also wore spiked shoulders which extended over their arms.

"Go on flying,

high and far.

Very high and very far

to my dearest hometown."

As they continued to sing, at least two hundred of these strange armoured warriors had come to see what was going on, all seeming puzzled by their display of perfect discipline and choir-like ability.

"To my dearest hometown-"

"4th Zlachny Life Guards, halt!" cried General Bykovsky as the entire column marched in place until they all stopped on their left feet. Then, he turned and faced the armed men, who now had their weapons ready, at least for those who held weapons. "Good evening!" he shouted in a cheerful tone as he used a hand to grab his cocked hat and gesture to them.

Those whose faces he could see had shock and confusion written all over them, while one whose armour was more ornate, sporting a similar expression, cautiously stepped forward before clearing his throat. "And you are?" he asked, sounding to Ivan like Pogyinese.

The General muttered something under his breath before placing his hat back on his head and clearing his throat. "Hello, Sir, I am Major General Bykovsky, commander of the 22nd Division of the Ruskian army," he answered in the same tongue, which confused the man more. Good, at least there should be no issues in communicating.

"I am sorry. Where did you say you were from?" the man asked as he glanced over the Battalions.

"We are from Ruskia," replied the Colonel, while the other man continued to stare at him as though he had grown a second head.

Then, he turned to one of the men beside him, appearing to ask him something before facing the General and Colonel. "I'm sorry, I've never heard of it,"

The General chuckled lightly in response. "Of course, you haven't. Now, who might you be?"

The other man straightened his posture. "I am Lieutenant Lee of the 5th Firebending Regiment of the mighty 21st Guard Division of the Fire Nation Army," he replied as Ivan stifled a laugh. The idea of a country named: "The Fire Nation." Not only did it sound utterly ridiculous to him. But it also made him wonder why they called themselves such in the first place.

General Bykovsky then dismounted and extended his hand in the traditional greeting while Colonel Alexeev followed him. "Well, it is good to make your acquaintance," he said.

Lee then nodded in response as the General put his hand back at his side. "I believe I can say the same," he began as he regarded the Battalion. "Now, why have you come?"

General Bykovsky stroked his mustache in thought before turning back to him. "Well, for one, we require supplies and a map for our Army," he said as Lee looked at him questioningly.

"How many of you are there?" he asked.

"About seventy thousand," said the General as Lee's dark amber eyes widened in shock.

"Bu-" he paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "But that is impossible. Only the Earth Kingdom could field such a large force, and not even they would be foolish enough to put all their turtle-duck eggs in one basket," he said. Though, in truth, he didn't know if even they could field an army of that size.

Ivan, meanwhile, felt more confident as a result, as it showed that not only did they not have access to Firearms, but it seemed they had yet to develop large standing armies. Although, he would not display such emotions publicly, as it was his duty to ensure they got the first impression they wanted.

The General, it seemed, had a similar approach. "Well, we are not of this Earth Kingdom you have mentioned, and I assure you I am telling the truth," Bykovsky began before addressing the Regiment. "Soldiers, I require two volunteers to return to the Army and tell them we have made contact," in response, two men stepped forward and saluted him before running past the formation and back down the road.

As the General turned back, Lee regarded him with a skeptical look. "What did you say?" he asked in a cautious tone.

"I ordered them to return to our army and tell them to come here," he began. "Now, I would like to speak with your commander,"

"I'm right here," said one of the men in the crowd as it split, with only one man left in the center, an eye patch over his right eye dressed similarly to Lieutenant Lee save the red sash he wore over his armour. "Now, what do you want?" he asked as Lee quickly turned and nodded.

The General followed suit. "As I told your subordinate, I require supplies and a map," he stated.

"I am Colonel Taojo, commander of the 5th Firebending Regiment," he began as he walked forward before stopping next to Lieutenant Lee. "And I can certainly get these for you, but I must request that you come inside,"

General Bykovsky nodded in response. "Thank you, but first, may I bring my aides?" he asked, gesturing to the Colonel and, much to his surprise, Ivan.

Colonel Taojo nodded. "Indeed, you may. However, only you three. The rest must stay,"

Legend:

¹Battalion: A unit of typically 672 men composed of six infantry platoons, adding one grenadier and one light.

Song: Akh vy Seni Moi Seni