Chapter 2: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., May 9th, 2023
Greg Park is a sailor off duty, planning on enjoying Philadelphia. What he did not plan on was a medieval army invading while he was eating a Philly Cheese Steak.
He had been looking forward to this leave for some time. After nothing but Navy chow, Greg could not wait to have some real food. Some of the older sailors serving aboard the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt had recommended Philly Cheese Steak. They said it was the must have dish in this city. When Greg tried it, he definitely understood why.
The sailor took his first bite, sitting at an outside table. Unfortunately, just as Greg was about to take his second bite, a man ran right into his table. The table was knocked over and Greg dropped his Cheese Steak.
"Oh, come on, man! Where's the fire?!" Greg shouted.
However, the man continued to run away, not even looking back. Then, Greg noticed that man was not the only one running. More people, men and women, were running in the same direction. Maybe there is a fire, Greg thought. Next, he heard screams. Whatever was going on, Greg suddenly felt he should not stay put.
He got up, just as a guy on a motorcycle crashed into a tree across the street from him. Greg ran over to the man to see if he could help. When he reached the biker, Greg saw the man had arrows in his back. Old school wooden arrows, not modern steel ones used by hunters these days. A quick examination revealed the biker was dead.
"The hell is going on?!" Greg asked the air.
Just then, he heard a bunch of horses crying out. Looking down the street, Greg saw what could only be described as knights on horseback charging his way. Not liking the expressions on the faces of the men in armor or the swords stained in blood they waved, Greg decided it was time to go. Fast.
Greg picked up the dead biker's motorcycle and took off on it. The men on horseback noticed him. They decided to pursue him. Fortunately, a motorcycle was faster than any horse. After a few minutes, Greg managed to lose them.
Having no idea what was going on, he decided to head back to port. Maybe his commanding officers would know what was going on and what to do. Having answers when no one else does is an officer's duty. That was what they were paid to do.
A helicopter flew overhead, back in the direction Greg had come from. Seemed to be a news chopper. Greg had seen enough military helicopters to know at a glance.
The instant Greg reached the port his carrier was docked at, he saw everyone was moving in a may have looked like a panic. However, Greg had a feeling everyone was moving with purpose. Before Greg could get to the Theodore Roosevelt, a Gunnery Sergeant he recognized called out to him.
"Ensign Park!" Alex Petrov waved him over. They had both been aboard the Theodore Roosevelt. They had talked a lot in the mess about the situation in the Ukraine.
"GySgt. Petrov, permission to ask what in the world is going on?" Greg asked.
"Granted. It seems Philly is under attack by a bunch of medieval knights and mythical creatures." Alex said, sounding more than a little disconcerted himself. "I can show you a live stream of the attack if you want."
Greg shook his head. "I saw some of those knights while I was out in town. I ran like hell back here as soon as I did. What should we do?"
"For now, report to your station. I believe all the nearby military are being mobilized to deal with this bizarre crisis." Petrov replied.
Greg nodded, though he was not sure what good he could do from a ship in port. Especially, considering the crisis was in the city. When he was aboard the Theodore Roosevelt, he waited for orders. He hated waiting.
Anntonius, a soldier in the Imperial Orte infantry, was marveling at the world beyond the Gate. Back in the Empire, the land around the Gate, a terrible storm raged. Here, the sky was clear. He could not have walked more than a mile after entering the Gate.
"So this is the world we have come to conquer?" Anntonius said with a smile.
So far, the conquest was going easy. The citizens of this city the Gate had connected to had been baffled by their presence. General Anquitas, bellowed the Orte Empire's declaration of war. A great many otherworlders had stood there in confusion. Anntonius wondered if they understood what the General had been saying. Once they began the invasion with a volley of arrows and the release of some goblins, the otherworlds for their lives.
"I wonder what gains Orte will make from this war?" Anntonius murmured to himself.
He had not been part of the initial charge. Now, Anntonius was raiding the nearby homes and shops. The first building he entered seemed to be some sort of library. That was what he thought, based on the large number of books inside. However, it was a strange library.
Libraries were a rarity, found only in major cities, back beyond the Gate. There were books on a rack that were very thin, with bizarre images on them. White boxes made not from wood, but softer material were on a line of tables. In the boxes were more of the strange, thin books packed tightly together. On another table, there were strange, tiny figures. They were sealed in some kind of solid, clear material. On a wall, hung various swords. Fake swords, to be more specific. Anntonius picked one up and found it was much lighter than a real sword. It could not even cut anything. Some sort of training sword? Anntonius wondered.
The more Anntonius explored this library, the stranger he found it. He decided to open one of the thin books. The pages felt different from the paper he had occasion to touch back in Orte. The words were not in a language he could understand. Idiot, of course it isn't! This is another world, after all, Anntonius thought.
The artistic images were superb, though. The art was unlike the few pieces he had seen in Orte. Anntonius decided to take one of these thin books, planning to see if he could sell it back beyond the Gate. Some noble was bound to find the artwork intriguing. He only took one to save room in his bag for more valuable items, such as coins and jewelry.
He had bet there would be a greater chance of finding such riches in this new world, than on any of the battlefields back in his own world. The subjugation of the Elves to the northwest was still ongoing. The elves had no intentions of surrender, despite the advantages the Orte had. The Orte Empire had more men, better weapons and far more experienced, as well as aggressive, generals. Unfortunately, the elves had little in the way of valuable minerals. Their land is fertile and the captured elves would be valuable workers. Beyond that, the war there was simply to prove Orte was strong.
In fact, Anntonius remembered the Emperor of Orte saying something along those lines in his speech to his troops. The Orte Empire has grown into a mighty power! Now, we shall demonstrate our strength! We will conquer the weak Elves at our border! The Emperor, Dragan Dragonborn la Orte had said.
Well, the elves are not my business or my problem, Anntonius thought. Orte was a nation that believed strongly in the superiority of the human race. Seeing nothing else that caught his eye, he decided it was time to look elsewhere. As Anntonius exited the odd library, he saw a small group of pillagers walking by. In their hands were pieces of gold and jewelry. He asked where they had obtained such riches.
"There was a small store of some sort, filled with these valuables. We had to small some glass cases to get to them, but it was no real trouble at all." One of them replied with a smile. "This invasion will bring great fortunes to the Orte Empire!"
Anntonius nodded in agreement, then set out to see what fortune he could find. He paid no mind to a mysterious popping noise he heard in the distance.
Corporal Jake Harris was riding in a military issue bus, heading to fight medieval knights and gladiators. When the commanding officers had received enough reports and evidence of this bizarre invasion, they sent their men into action. The sun was now setting, making the sky a unique shade of red. Jake wondered how he would deal with the sight of red blood.
Jake had only been part of the military for the past eight months. He had great marksmanship and an instinct to command. That had earned him the two stripes on his sleeve. However, this would be his first combat experience. His first time fighting for real. His first time killing for real.
"Time to see if I have the stomach for this." Jake murmured to himself.
"What was that?" Private Jack McClusky asked.
"Nothing, McClusky. Are you ready for battle?" Jack inquired.
"As ready as I can be, considering this fight is all manner of crazy. I mean, medieval knights attacking Philadelphia with dragons and goblins? Sounds absolutely nuts, but everyone says it is real." McClusky said. "Whatever we are facing, I am going to fight like the devil. After all, I got something of a legacy to live up to."
Private McClusky comes from a long line of military personnel. His great-great-grandfather fought in World War I. After that, his family has been veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, etc. McClusky just barely missed fighting in Afghanistan, though his older sister did a tour there. Now, he might have his own war to fight in.
"That's enough chatter, gentlemen." Captain Chester Martin said. "Time to disembark. Go!"
The men did not need to be told twice. They were all off the bus in no time flat. There was a makeshift barricade of cars not too far in front of them. There was the metallic smell of blood in the air. When Harris, McClusky and the others moved forward, they saw why. Beyond the barricade were bodies torn apart by bullets. Medieval armor is not effective at stopping bullets. Seems these knights did not know that. They also seemed to be having trouble learning.
A wave of knights on foot were starting a charge. Captain Martin ordered his men to open fire. They did.
Night had fallen, and the army of the Orte Empire was seriously considering retreating. No, they knew they needed to retreat. The strange powers of these otherworlders had decimated their forces. The fighting was, in fact, still going on. The otherworlders were pressing their assault, even under the cover of night. If things continued like this, by tomorrow night, they would be utterly decimated.
Anntonius had no doubt as to that. He had seen his comrades torn to shreds by some unseen force. He had heard the loud banging so much, he thought it would echo in his ears forever. The soldiers of this world had strange staffs that made this sound and, at the same time, caused injuries to their enemies.
If Anntonius thought right, soon he would be required to go on a charge against the enemy. He deeply hoped he was wrong. Those who went on the attack did not return often. Actually, they hardly returned at all.
Damn it, just order a full retreat already! Anntonius thought, but did not say out loud. Starting this war was an utter mistake! Now, the best we can hope for is that the enemy will not follow us back through the Gate.
"Orders! I have orders from General Anquitas!" A messenger came riding by on horseback.
Anntonius muttered a silent prayer to the gods that this was the order he hoped it was.
"Full retreat men! Head for the Gate with all haste!" The messenger shouted.
Anntonius suspected he was not the only one who almost let out a cry of relief. He might yet escape this hell. What he would do upon his return to Orte, he had no idea. One thing Anntonius knew was he had enough of fighting. First chance he got, Anntonius intended to desert.
Now, as he hurried to the Gate, Anntonius actually came up with an idea. There was a merchant city on the Saderan side of their two empire's borders. A friend of his lived there, so he might find some work with him. Especially, if he shared some of the items he acquired in this world. Maybe, his future was not so bleak after all.
As Anntonius was not far from the Gate, he heard a sound. It was different from the banging noise that would haunt him, however, he was also familiar with this one. One of this world's fearsome flying creatures was approaching. The Orte soldiers began dashing for the Gate like mad men. Shoving, pushing, shouting, screaming, even trampling. Anntonius had just made it through the threshold of the Gate when the flying monster struck. He briefly turned his head back, and saw soldiers being reduced to red rags.
He ran as hard as he had ever run in his life through the Gate. Finally, Anntonius made it to the other side. However, he did not stop running, because there were still soldiers pushing him from behind. When he finally had space to catch his breath, he collapsed to the muddy ground.
Please, Gods, Anntonius prayed as he struggled to breathe. Let those terrifying beings remain on the other side of the Gate.