Chapter 2: Through The Gate
After a long morning without anything to eat, Itami lost himself to a fine breakfast. He filled his plate with cooked eggs, fresh bacon, wheat bread, and seasoned chicken, then washed it down with strong hot coffee from Noshfael. Forest almost howled in delight as she, too, savored the thick cuts of beef laid out before her and the other dragons. After finishing her plate, she sniffed the great platter of Dutchess Brundhilda's dragon and got a sharp nip for her efforts. The green dragon pouted before a servant refilled her plate, earning the man a lick before she wagged her tail and resumed the feast. Across the table, Suzaka scrutinized the food before taking a few bites. Itami smirked, for the samurai clearly trained to conceal his delight but failed, nor was he alone.
Bozes sat beside Bruno and ate with bright pink cheeks spread into a child-like smile. Bruno almost laughed after she started drinking her third cup of coffee. The titanic knight reached over and took the mug from her hands, and she pouted at him while shaking a little. She muttered a few frustrated words before he steadied her body with a firm hand on her shoulder. "Not too fast on the coffee, fraulein."
"But I love it! It's so good! I want to drink it every day for the rest of my life!" She almost shouted.
"Vielleicht, but drink too much too quickly, and you'll make yourself sick, fraulein. Trust me."
Bozes kept her cheeks puffed, but they turned a little red as she returned to her food. Itami wanted to chuckle but soon noticed Pina had hardly touched her breakfast. Instead, the Princess listened intently to the conversations going on around her among the high nobility. Itami had not taken a good look himself and peered over those in attendance. The Kaiserin, High Chancellor, and Heir Apparent were not present, probably in the capital managing affairs and preparing for the campaign season, while Joseph handled matters here. However, many of the southern Dukes and Counts did arrive alongside their wives, who spoke with the same authority as their husbands. When a Countess corrected a Duke across the table and got support from Kaiser Joseph, Pina blinked in disbelief.
"Women are equal to their husbands in Aciemes society, Pina." Itami whispered.
He savored her frightened expression as she jumped a little, then glared at him. He gestured to her breakfast, and she reluctantly started eating.
"You will need your strength, my uncle will not be as gentle as me in his questioning. He is a conqueror." Itami gestured to Joseph.
Pina tried to sit up straight and appear unintimidated, but the Kaiser's imposing size and demeanor proved too much. His colossal three-headed dragon did not help either. Itami started to smirk when he noticed his father staring at him. The Prince waivered and looked away, but Pina saw this and started to smirk, like a shark smelling blood in the water.
"What's that about then?"
"Nothing. My father and I just have not always seen eye to eye on everything is all. It's none of your concern."
"I don't know, you are a prince. Knowing the complex political situation in which I find myself in is of upmost importance-"
"Princess Pina, is it then?" Kaiser Joseph spoke.
His voice almost shook the table as seismic waves seemed to follow his movements. Pina yelped with Bozes and Sherry and sat up straight with quivering skin. Itami found himself smiling again and steadied her with a firm hand on her shoulder. The rose-haired young woman found the strength to nod and then bowed her head again with her companions. All eyes now fixed themselves upon Pina, who struggled to find words even with Itami's steadying hand.
"Ja, your majesty. I am Princess Pina, daughter of Emperor Molt Augustus."
"Tell me, Princess. For what reason did you create that gate and invade my empire? What sin did we commit to earn your wrath upon my people."
"Your majesty, if I may." Itami said.
His father shot him a warning look, but Joseph held a hand to him and nodded at his nephew.
"I have spoken with the Princess on her way here. She claims that her people did not create the gate but rather came across it and ventured inside. Given more have not appeared at strategic locations across the empire, I see no reason to doubt her in this matter."
Many at the table nodded and muttered in agreement. Even Itami's father joined them and eased his expression toward his son.
"Vielleicht, but that does not explain why they attacked at all. Why not send a diplomatic embassy?"
The Kaiser's words cut deep, and Pina struggled to breathe. Sweat started to soak her smooth skin, which turned pale. A nun had to come over and wash her with healing water. Yet, the Princess still could not muster speech. Itami wanted to help her but grimaced, knowing what response her explanation from earlier would earn. Then, Bozes almost shouted in fright.
"We came to clear the way for his majesty! His legions lay just on the other side of the gate, and they're waiting for us!"
"Bozes!" Pina snapped.
Itami had to restrain the Princess, who snarled and tried to slap her companion. Bozes jumped out of her chair and scrambled over to Bruno, who held her in his arms. Sherry, too, shivered as if in a blizzard and saw the piercing eyes of Reich nobles and dragons boring down upon her, including Brunhilda. She followed Bozes's example and hugged Freidhelm tightly, causing him to go red and Brundhilda to smile a little.
Kaiser Joseph took a deep breath and shook his head. He asked for the Father's preservation and began speaking with the Empire's Archbishop and Itami's Father. The conversation was in High Reich, a dialect only the top nobility ever spoke. Even Itami struggled with it, and Pina looked ready to collapse as the moments dragged on into minutes. Then, at last, the Kaiser turned back to Pina.
"Vielen dank, fraulein Bozes, for your honesty. It seems the threat has not passed. The commune is still garrisoned, but this is insufficient if an army lies in wait on the other side. We shall not repay blood for blood and, instead, follow the Father's example. Archbishop Sigfried will assemble a diplomatic envoy to meet with Emperor Augustus to ensure this conflict does not escalate. However, as we are dealing with pagan people who attacked us first, a show of force may be necessary to ensure they understand further violence against our subjects will not be tolerated. But first, we must recognize the triumph and heroism of those who were there."
Kaiser Joseph smiled, catching Pina off guard. He looked at Itami, Bruno, and Suzaka, and for a brief moment, Itami almost thought he saw a proud expression on his father's face. His mother beamed in delight and appeared ready to hug him as she swelled up with clear pride.
"My nephew, Itami, a fine young Captain in the Imperial Army, took charge of a town guard and successfully held the invaders at bay until the Dutchess Brunhilda arrived with proper reinforcements. Nor was he alone, Herr Bruno, and the samurai Suzaka deserve just as much praise for their efforts."
Applause echoed across the dining hall, and Bruno bowed before the Kaiser with a humble smile. Suzaka, however, stood tall and flashed a cocky grin before explaining how such feats ought to be expected from an honorable samurai such as himself. Crusher groaned while Itami gave a sheepish smile, and Forest howled in delight. The only ones not joining in were Pina and her companions. However, Bozes seemed to have a puppy-like smile as she held onto Bruno.
"With that settled, we shall press on. My son, Frederick, is already on his way with a sizable army. He shall act as the Captain General of this venture and lead the way through the gate. Once we broker peace, you shall return to your father, Princess Pina."
"I-I shall?" She muttered in disbelief.
"Ja. Herr Itami shall also accompany the expedition alongside the Samurai Suzaka."
"My son will go too!" Brunhilda roared.
Freidhelm sweatdropped with his dragon but nodded. Pina sank into her chair and shot one last glare at Bozes before resigning herself. Itami helped her back up and likewise sighed. An expedition through the gate. So much for time off and indulging in his hobby. Then again, a new world offered him endless sources of inspiration for masterful works. He found himself smiling again, at least until he saw his father's expression.
After breakfast, he spent a few hours in the tilting field alongside Bruno, Suzaka, and Freidhelm. Itami and Freidhelm clashed with blunted swords while Forest and his dragon snapped their jaws at one another. Freidhelm almost slammed Itami off Forest, and the Prince grunted. Freidhelm had his mother's strength and the skill to match. He parried each of Itami's sword strikes and almost landed a crushing punch.
Itami shot a root out and knocked his arm aside just enough to come back and bash Freidhelm with the pommel of his sword. The blow distracted him for a moment, but a moment only, and soon enough, they found themselves locked in another melee. Finally, after an eternity, both grunted and resigned themselves to reality.
"Draw?" Itami asked.
"Draw." Freidhelm groaned.
They shook hands while Forest and Freidhelm's dragons nuzzled and licked each other. One day, their clashes would end in a clear winner, but not that day. Bruno had more luck as he swept the legs of another knight roughly his size and then slammed him to the ground. The two grappled for another minute or two before Bruno shoved a dagger under his opponent's visor, and the man tapped out. Bruno helped him up while Bozes watched from nearby with Sherry, both red with smitten expressions.
"Come on, you two! We have our corps honor to uphold!" Pina seized and then dragged them over toward a trio of Reich chivalric maidens.
Itami, Freidhelm, and Bruno chuckled with the dragons when they watched the battle unfold. The trio of local warrior women stood almost six feet tall, each with a powerful and muscular body. Despite this, Pina drove all her equites at them in a mass charge with blunt weapons. One by one, the chivalric maidens dispatched their smaller adversaries with ease. Itami noticed that Pina and her soldiers were not untrained or unskilled. They had refined forms and techniques on display and reasonable proficiency. The problem was the three women they faced had far more skill and much stronger bodies. All three chivalric maidens had dragons, but none had to tap into their bonded magic.
They laughed with many spectators, including the Dutchess Brunhilda, as Pina and her equites lay on their backs covered in bump marks and bruises. Despite this, Pina forced herself up. Breathing heavily, she raised her sword alongside Bozes and a short violet-haired equites.
"They have spirit; I'll give them that." Bruno said.
"Ja, they do." Freidhelm smiled a little at Sherry while Itami did the same toward Pina.
That was until Brunhilda approached the three young women. Her wicked smile turned them pale as she punched her fist and took up their challenge.
"Father, help them." Bruno muttered.
The other Rose Equites huddled together as the Dutchess lifted up her defeated opponents in one hand and laughed. Itami sweatdropped with the others before a chaplain washed away the equites bruises and bumps with glittering water. The warm, soothing sensation overtook Itami too. He sighed in delight as all his sweat and muscle aches vanished as if he emerged from a warm bath. He thanked the nun before turning back to Suzaka.
The samurai and his dragon clashed with a Reich dragon knight in a melee so fierce Itami feared someone might actually die. Suzaka boasted an hour earlier after he defeated a younger knight, but now he struggled against the onslaught of Herr Erwin, who transformed into a half-human half tiger hybrid and remained upright despite Suzaka's gravity magic.
"You shall not best us, samurai!" The dragon spoke as if a human and slammed Crusher down beneath him.
Soon enough, Suzaka found himself pinned as well. Herr Erwin offered him a hand up, but the samurai got up on his own. He bowed his head in obligatory respect but avoided Itami's eyes as they passed.
"Everyone loses once in a while, Suzaka. It's nothing to be ashamed of." He said.
"I must be ready for what awaits us on through that gate." He grunted and went off to continue his sword techniques.
Itami tried not to dwell on such uncertainties. He put his faith in the Father, and after another hour of sparring, he went up to his chamber with Forest. He had to pack but lamented the loss of his paint. Perhaps, since they had to pass through the commune again, he could acquire more. This thought made him smile again until Forest whined upon reaching the door.
"What's wrong, girl-" Itami stopped.
He got his answer upon opening the door. There stood his parents and Forest's father. His mother raced over and seized him in his arms. She cried out in kaigai and kissed his cheeks. Itami sweatdropped but hugged her back and reassured his mother in Kaigai.
"You gave us such a fright! I spent half the day praying for your safety."
"Okāsan, by the time you heard, I was already safe."
These words did little to relieve her, and she nearly teared up. "You're my only child. The only child I will ever have-"
"Yuri. It's alright." Itami's father assured her.
He tenderly sat his wife down on the bed and stroked her cheek. Itami grimaced at the sight of his mother's lament. He knew well that he was a miracle child, that after her marriage to his father, doctors informed them that she would likely never conceive. Still, his father refused to set her aside. With a deep breath, he turned to Itami.
"I am proud of you, mein sohn. But I wonder, what you were doing there?"
Forest whined and came up behind Itami until her father nudged her away. Itami took a deep breath and tried to muster his strength.
"I had some time off. Even Captains need time to breathe. My troops and duties were set in order before I left. You can ask Duke Sigfried-"
"Itami." His father pointed to Forest's saddle and the dried paint.
Itami gritted his teeth and braced himself, but no scolding came. Instead, his father took him by the shoulders. They stared at each other in silence for almost a minute before he spoke. "Itami, there is nothing wrong with having a passion in life. But you also have duties."
"Duties you decided for me-" Itami started.
"You are mein sohn! The only child I will ever have! Like it or not, you are part of this family! I stuck by your mother because that's what a man does, and the Father rewarded me with you!"
Itami struggled not to tear up hearing these words. Despite the heat in his father's voice, they came almost like the healing water. The older Prince hugged Itami tight, and his dragon nuzzled him, too.
"Itami, you are going to a new world with dangers we do not even know of. I cannot lose you because you space out and forget your responsibilities and safety again. Do you understand me? Your life and future are the most precious things on this earth to me."
"Itami, please, listen to him." His mother pleaded.
A lump formed in Itami's throat. How could he be so selfish? Seeing his mother cry frightened Itami more than anything on the battlefield. The idea of how she might react if something happened to him shook the knight to his core. Swallowing his pride, he nodded.
"Hai, okāsan. Forgive me."
She raced over to hug him again. However, after a minute, a wide grin spread across her face, and she whispered.
"When you come back, I will have a bride picked out for you. No evading it anymore, Itami."
Forest howled in delight while Itami went limp and groaned. His father laughed before his mother placed something in his hand. Itami caught his breath upon realizing she had given him several bottles of Kaigai paint. He found his spirits kindled like a raging fire that afternoon. Itami almost had a skip in his step as he escorted Pina across the fortress halls, walking her arm in arm-like Bruno and Bozes.
"What's got you so happy? Envisioning the spoils of your conquest." She huffed.
"In a matter of speaking." Itami said.
His face eased into a blissful smile, imagining all the wondrous paintings that were now possible. Pina clearly mistook what he meant and shivered with a hint of fear in her eyes. Forest did not help as she flashed a fang-filled grin reminiscent of Brunhilda's. "Forest, enough of that." Itami said, though with a slight chuckle.
"Humph, I just can't wait to be free of you barbarians and-" Pina started.
Her eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped. Itami, Forest, Bruno, and Bozes all understood when they looked ahead. Further down the hall, Sherry stood before a glass window, wrapped tight in Freidhelm's arms while embracing him as well. Light shined down upon the two as they shared a passionate kiss that made Sherry's left leg pop into the air while Freidhelms's dragon panted in delight.
"Sherry! What are you doing!?" Pina snarled with fangs for teeth and fire in her eyes.
Despite this, her equities turned with pink cheeks and a shameless smile. She revealed a bejeweled ring on her right ring finger.
"What does it look like, Princess!? I'm getting married in an hour."
"Eh!? You're marrying your barbarian captor!? You're deserting the Corps and the Empire!?"
"Yes, yes, I am, and I'm not alone." Sherry giggled and gestured elsewhere.
Pina almost collapsed, and Itami had to hold her up. Looking around, they saw over a dozen of Pina's equities walking arm and arm with young Reich knights or soldiers, and some even had engagement rings like Sherry. Itami wanted to laugh but soon noticed Bozes turn pink and glance toward Bruno. However, Brunhilda revealed herself.
The dutchess grinned in victory. She picked up her son and Sherry in her arms while laughing and carried them off to the fortress chapel and sang. "I'm gonna be an oma, I'm gonna be an oma."
"Traitor! You're all traitors!" Pina snarled.
One of her passing equities shrugged with a shameless giggle while another stuck her tongue out at Pina. By the time they returned to the courtyard the next morning, only a little more than half of Pina's Corps remained; the rest joined their new husbands and betrothed in the company or remained behind. She grits her teeth at the short violet-haired one who assembled the others.
"I clearly didn't make the Corps disciplined enough, Beefeater. I'll rectify this upon our return."
The violet-haired young woman sweatdropped, and many of those who remained groaned. That was until soldiers led them back into the carriages. Itami, adorned in his armor, picked Pina up and set her in Forest's saddle, earning a yelp from the Princess. She turned bright red as he sat behind her. Bozes reacted similarly when Bruno helped her into his equoferri's saddle and sat behind her.
"Hang on." Itami said.
Before she could ask, Pina screamed after Forest kicked off and soared into the air. Itami started to laugh as his dragon intentionally flew in sharp maneuvers until Pina turned herself around and wrapped herself around Itami. She shouted explicit threats against him and Forest, but her terrified voice made them impossible to take seriously. Sherry, by contrast, laughed like a gleeful child as she flew with Freidhelmd and his dragon.
"Pina, look below." Itami said.
"No!" She snapped.
"I think you should." He helped guide her head down.
Pina's eyes widened when she saw them. Tens of thousands of Imperial soldiers marched towards the commune alongside a supply caravan with mounted light riders on horses and squadrons of Imperial knights. The infantry marched to the beat of drums while peasants, tradesmen, and nobles cheered them on. More dragons and riders flew ahead of them and disappeared inside the gate along with any men or knights below.
At last, Forest came upon the gate, and Itami could only see darkness. Taking a deep breath, he performed a holy sign with one hand and held Pina close in the other as they passed through the gate and entered the Special Region, which lay beyond.
Author's note
Greetings, I hope you guys are enjoying so far.
If you guys are interested in the world Itami comes from, I have written a novel set in the equivalent of Spain. The story is on my Wattpadd account under Fictionknight2 and is called Righteous Ambitions: A King's Journey. It is heavily inspired by anime like One Piece and Fairy Tail and also takes inspiration from history. If you are interested, please consider taking a look.
As for this story, it is already completely written so I am afraid I cannot take requests for characters.
So until next time,
Please review, comment, suggest, or ask (VIA PM)