Act 2, Chapter 14: Burdened Beasts


A WEEK SINCE DEPARTING OMEN KEEP,
COAST OF THE GLASS PENINSULA,
EASTERN MOST POINT OF THE COAST.

"Park the Dill there", Falaguerra ordered.

Promptly complying with the order, Upsilon Shepherd Four parked the squad's armored vehicle in a sufficiently concealing area of forest not too far from the point at which the grassland ended and the coastal sands began.

"So, we pick up from where the satellites left off?", Langford asked.

"Yeah, like what the intel Command gave us says.

Falaguerra disembarked from the Armadillo, followed by the rest of Upsilon.

"Oh man, this is like... our beach episode", Langford said to himself quietly, but not enough to get pass Volkov unnoticed.

"Guess what, Langford? We're not gonna find hot chicks here and even if we did, none of them would want to be anywhere near your unwashed weeb ass"

"It's pathetic that all you do is devote your time to talking shit about me. How about doing something productive for a change?"

"You're one to talk"

"Langford, Volkov, put a sock in it", Falaguerra ordered.

"Grant, you good to go?"

The squad's JACK unit undocked himself from the Armadillo and promptly made his way to Upsilon's side.

"Deebees, lock up the Dill and stay on guard here until further notice. If there's trouble, radio in"

"Wilco, Sergeant", all four Deebees responded in unison.

"Alright, we're Oscar Mike"


The fine white sand crunched under the armored boots of Upsilon as Grant took point, with the only other sounds to keep the squad company being the advancing and receding tides, the calm coastal breeze and gulls squawking in the distance. The shade of the generous cloud cover prevented an unrelenting and oppressive heat from the sun while still more than adequately illuminating the picturesque scene that surrounded Upsilon.

"Shit, if I didn't know any better, I thought we all just walked straight into one of those really old Halvo Bay postcards", Langford stated.

"Reminds me of Azura's beaches", Yokoyama commented, remembering seeing pictures of the former secret island's beaches in history textbooks.

"This place puts Azura's beaches to shame", Volkov responded.

"Grant, spotted anything?", Falaguerra asked.

The bot beeped.

"Keep using Pulse when you can, we'll get something sooner or later"


TWO HOURS LATER.

"Guess we should just tell Command that-"

Grant cut off Falaguerra as he alerted the squad of the presence of an unknown individual behind a cluster of boulders at a beach-forest border. The outline of the figure was relayed to each of Upsilon's Tac-Com feeds via Grant's Pulse.

Upsilon flicked to fire from safe, readied their weapons and began to approach the boulder cluster with caution, taking care to minimize the amount of noise they made with their footfalls on the sand.

"Volkov, Yokoyama, flank right. Langford, you're on me, we flank left", Falaguerra ordered quietly on Tac-Com.

The closer Upsilon got, the unusually diminutive shape of the figure behind the boulder became more and more apparent.

"Is that a kid?", Volkov quietly asked over Tac-Com.

"Looks like they've got pointy ears too. Could be an elven kid", Langford guessed quietly.

"What? Like the ones who serve meals at the Keep Mess?", Volkov asked.

"Yeah", Langford responded.

"No, the general shape isn't right...", Yokoyama added.

"Cut the chatter, we have the element of surprise. Let's keep it that way", Falaguerra ordered.

As Upsilon came around from either side of the boulder cluster, they came upon the unknown figure, still unaware of the squad's presence as it seemed to be too engrossed in taking stock of its inventory within a burlap sack.

"Identify yourself!", Falaguerra

Startled, the now clearly visible individual frantically backed up against the hard, rocky face of one of the boulders in the cluster and darted it's head between each of Upsilon's members as it hyperventilated and began to sweat profusely.

"I'm just a gatherer, please don't hurt me! I am no threat!", the unknown individual pleaded.

Seeing how the diminutive figure was cowering in practically paralyzed terror, Upsilon lowered their weapons on Falaguerra's order.

"What and who are you?", Falaguerra asked.

"I-I am a g-goblin. My name is Thenrek. I am b-but a mere g-gatherer for my village. I w-was just here taking s-stock of all the e-edible plants and seeds I could find f-from a forest close to this beach", the individual stated through barely suppressed fear.

"Calm down, we won't hurt you", Falaguerra reassured.

"I suppose. You could've already killed me from the moment you found if you wanted from the looks of it...", Thenrek admitted.

"Might I ask, who you people are? You seem human but your 'armor' and 'weapons' are like nothing I've ever seen"

"All you need to know is that we're here to hunt down some Flame Dragon Eggs", Falaguerra firmly stated.

At this, Thenrek instantly went from being able to barely hold himself together from fear to excited relief.

"Flame Dragon Eggs you say?!"

"Yeah, we're here on a mission to destroy them before they hatch"

"Elange has answered our prayers! We will be saved from certain doom at last!"

"Hmmm... Care to give us some context?"

"Ah yes, you see, I belong to a community of island-dwelling goblins and orcs and-"

"Goblins and orcs?"

"Oh, have you never seen my kind before?"

"No, can't say we have"

Langford was about to speak up but was stopped when Volkov nudged him hard with his elbow.

"I am a goblin; small in stature, green skin, long pointy ears like elves, long-nosed, with eyes bearing rectangular pupils. As for the orcs, they are similar to us in many regards but certainly not all. They are magnitudes physically larger and stronger than even the strongest humans, with their strength being Bear-like I would say or even greater. That and they all have an underbite of some degree; their short lower jaw fangs even stick out of their mouths when closed shut, their noses are short and pig-like and their ears are rounded"

"Huh, that paints quite an accurate mental picture", Falaguerra stated in surprise.

"No offense but are your kind usually this... well-spoken?"

"No, in fact to my knowledge, all other goblins and orcs outside of the island-dwelling community I belong to are solely driven by primal and savage instincts. In other words, I belong to a uniquely, albeit mostly isolated, intelligent and exceptionally long-lived population of goblins and orcs"

"And how is it that you're nothing like the less civilized ones?"

"Elange, my community's patron deity, created us centuries ago and granted us intelligence, the kind that only truly sapient beings are capable of. He has given us many signs over generations that point to our state-of-higher-mental being of his design, to put it simply"

"Right, and you mentioned being from a 'mostly isolated' community. Why 'mostly'?"

"Because of those predatory elves..."

"Predatory elves?"

"Not too far from my home island, there is a neighboring island inhabited exclusively by an all-female elf tribe. They launch a raid once every twenty years on my community to abduct and enslave as many of us as they can, to use as sex slaves and breeding stock since they have no males of their species to breed with to maintain their population. Despite the seed they take not being of the males of their kind, they can still give birth to pure-blood female elves. Their next raid on us is due in mere weeks"

"Huh... That's... Hmmm..."

"Yes, it is quite a life my people and I live; struggling on one hand to provide for ourselves and on the other, preparing and fighting tooth and nail from being wiped out through abduction and enslavement", Thenrek stated in a solemn and stoic conviction steeped in wisdom gained from years of trauma, a stark contrast to his borderline savage appearance.

Falaguerra now was in deep thought, processing everything that was just explained to him before he spoke once again.

"Alright, so we now know you and your people's current situation, for the most part, but it still doesn't answer how our mission to destroy those Flame Dragon Eggs is a literal godsend to your people. If those eggs haven't hatched yet, then I don't see why your people would have any issue just destroying them yourselves, especially if your 'Orcs' are as strong as you say they are"

"The eggs are not in our possession, the elves have it. They have very recently discovered how to concoct a potion that when consumed by or injected via arrow or dart into either goblin or orc, will almost instantly make them absolutely subservient, and the key ingredient for this potion is Flame Dragon Hatchling Blood. However, it is fortunate that properly hatching those eggs is a meticulous endeavor, requiring very specific conditions to be created and maintained over a significant period of time. Given the elves' apparent resources and expertise on such matters and how the eggs looked based on our scouts' reports, it will be at least a few months before those eggs hatch"

"Well, well, it looks like our interests line up and at a good time too"

"Indeed. When will you begin your hunt for the eggs?"

"As soon as possible, that's why my team are here after all"

"Perfect. A ship from my community will arrive soon to collect me and what I have gathered, as is routine. When they arrive I will get them up to speed on our alignment of interests and hopefully they should make accommodations for that"


TWENTY MINUTES LATER.

"If I am understanding this correctly, you wish to host those outsiders at our island solely on the claim that they are here to aid us in destroying the Flame Dragon Eggs?"

"Chieftain, I know what it sounds like but-"

"For all we know they could be mercenaries hired by those damned elves looking to infiltrate our home! What evidence do you have to prove that they can even be trusted, let alone be allowed to step foot on our island?", the Orc Chieftain demanded.

Chieftain, please, they have come bearing armor and weapons that look as if they were forged by the very gods themselves, the kind that would never be granted to some lowly thugs under any circumstances. Not to mention that their arrival the day after our largest community prayer to Elange to date couldn't have been a coincidence"


"Huh, the big guy does not look happy...", Langford stated, seeing Thenrek trying to reason with who he assumed was an orc who outranked him.

"Yeah, I'd wouldn't be happy either if an attempted infiltration or something like that was in progress", Falaguerra stated.

"What if he says no?", Volkov asked.

"Well, at least now we have a lead; we know those elves that have been giving them a hard time aren't too far from their home island and we know that the orcs and goblins come and go from the mainland here by ship regularly on short enough trips. Some scouting Ravens should be able to find the elves' island and most importantly, those eggs"

"And if they agree to have us as guests, then what?"

"Then we can figure out sooner if we can find and destroy those eggs right away. We may have a few months but let's not get too comfy because of that"


"Very well..."

At this, Thenrek's eyes lit up in hope.

"But they are to be watched by no less than a dozen guards at all times and if they so much as show a hint of being untrustworthy, they are to be immediately banished and if they are not willing to leave on request, then they are to be put down"

"Yes, Chieftain!"

"Do NOT make me regret this decision"

"You won't Chieftain!"

"Now come and bring them before me. I wish to meet our saviors apparently sent by Elange himself before we allow them to board the ship"


"So, what's the verdict?", Falaguerra asked.

"After some convincing, he has agreed to grant you passage to our island to aid us, though under constant watch by our guards", Thenrek explained.

"Perfectly understandable"

"However, before he will allow your team onto our ship, he has insisted on meeting you all first"

"Helmets off when we greet the big guy, we wanna show him that we aren't a threat. They go back on after introductions though.

The rest of Upsilon acknowledged this.

"Alright, lead the way, Thenrek"


"Identify yourselves", the Orc Chieftain demanded.

Upsilon collectively took their helmets off.

"I am Sergeant Arnold Falaguerra, Leader of Upsilon Squad, of the Coalition of Ordered Governments, or COG for short. This is Corporal Grigori Volkov, Private Isaac Langford and Private Seiji Yokoyama"

"Humans, hmmm... I am not familiar with many of those terms but I assume you are all soldiers from the way you carry yourselves"

"Correct"

"So, is this 'Upsilon Skwad' the military you serve?"

"No, Upsilon is the name of this group, and 'squad' is what you'd call this group of soldiers that I'm leading. My squad serves a military organization called the Coalition of Ordered Governments, or COG for short"

"I have never heard of this 'Kaug' before. What is it that your military ultimately fights for?"

"We fight for self-defense and the protection of others, at least that's what the current iteration of our military is fighting for"

"Oh? What did the older iteration of the Kaug fight for?"

"We can discuss my military's history later. I believe our introductions have been adequate"

"I agree, and I suppose now it is only right that I introduce myself; I am Uto, Chieftain of all Learned Orcs"

"You're in charge of your community then?", Falaguerra asked after he and the rest of Upsilon donned their helmets once again.

"No, I rule alongside the Chieftain of all Learned Goblins. It has been that way since the inception of our isolated island community centuries ago, though with what those elves are planning, it might not be that way soon"

"That's where my squad steps in. As it so happens, our mission is to destroy the Flame Dragon Eggs they're planning on using"

"Your aid is very much welcome, though I'm sure Thenrek has already told you but I will state it again; you will be constantly monitored by no less than a dozen guards at all times. Should you do anything I would deem a threat to the safety of my community, you will be asked to leave, and if you are not willing to leave, we will make you, even if it means spilling blood. Am I understood?"

"We understand"

"Good, now then-"

"Actually, there's one more of my squad I should introduce before we go. Better to get this out of the way now than later, otherwise you might think we're trying to decieve you"

"Did you have a scout secretly watching over-"

Before Uto could finish speaking, as if by magic, a wingless-yet-flying metal construct with four, glowing blue eyes materialized before him and Thenrek.

"This is Grant, our squad's trusty helper for more unconventional or trickier tasks"

"What in Elange's name?...", Uto could only utter in almost primal fear.

Thenrek could only look on in equal parts great fear and awe.

"When we don't need his assistance, he just 'disappears' out of sight and 'appears' when we do, but he always follows my squad, watching over us and everything around us.

"Well... ummm... It is good to meet you too Grant, whatever you are...", Uto greeted, still reeling in from shock.

At this, Grant opened up his left torso panel to wave a robotic arm before retracting it and closing up the panel, all while beeping in a friendly tone.

"Again, like with my military's history, I can explain Grant and what he is in greater detail later"

"Very well. It is not like here is a good place to be discussing such things at length anyway", Uto stated before gesturing for everyone to board the ship.

"Wait", Falaguerra uttered.

"What is it now?"

"My squad came here in an armored transport and we don't want to leave it behind. It's a little larger than a typical wagon drawn by several horses"

"I suppose we have just enough room for it on the ship"

"One more thing; everyone you saw here isn't everyone in my squad. The other four are with our transport, on guard. There's a total of nine of us"

"They will have to introduce themselves on the way to our island. Now, fetch your transport and get it on the ship. I don't want to worry my people with how long we've been away for"


SCAVENGER SHIP,
CARGO HOLD,
ON THE WAY BACK TO THE GOBLIN AND ORCS' ISLAND.

"Huh, never seen a wagon like this one before...", Uto mused as he visually inspected the literal otherworldly metallic, horseless wagon.

"How does it work if there are no beasts to pull it around?", Thenrek asked, also visaully inspecting the vehicle.

"It's... complicated but I can tell you one thing I know for sure about it; it doesn't use magic to work, and the same can be said for everything else we use"

"Hmmm... Interesting...", Uto stated to himself.

"Then it is safe to conclude that this armored transport is a contraption of some sort, an unfathomably complex contraption...", Thenrek commented.

"I wouldn't have blamed you if you thought any kind of magic was involved", Falaguerra stated.

"It is the easiest and most intuitive conclusion, however, it is certainly not an educated one"

"You've definitely got critical thinking skills", Falaguerra complimented.

"Unlike those Imperials. Idiots seriously thought they could just rush us at the hill and win..."

At this Thenrek and Uto turned to the Sergeant.

"Wait... Are you of the same force beyond the Gate that thwarted the Imperial invasion through it? Our scouts reported to have seen such a force a while ago while venturing far for resources", Uto asked.

Falaguerra simply nodded.

"I knew it! Our coming salvation was a product of divine intervention!", Thenrek exclaimed.

"We don't even know if it was Elange specifically who opened the Gate", Uto responded.

"It was a divine power that willed it nonetheless!"

"Regardless, it is good to know that a force of such strength has come to our aid"

"That reminds me...", Falaguerra uttered before remotely summoning the squad's Deebees still currently in the Armadillo.

The front end of the armored transport promptly opened up to allow the four DeeBee Shepherds to disembark.

"This is the rest of my team that you haven't met until now", Falaguerra stated.

"Greetings", the four Shepherds said in unison.

Uto and Thenrek stumbled back in surpise, being barely able to process one otherwordly spectacle after another ever since the meeting on the beach.

"I take it that these are related to your 'Grant'?", Uto asked.

"In a lot of ways, yeah, but unlike Grant, these four are built to fight"

"Wait, they are 'built'?", Thenrek asked.

"By you?", Uto added in curiosity.

"Me? No, no. They're built by someone a lot smarter than me. An engineer who made a lot of innovations for my military"

"Engineer? Innovations?"

"Oh right, I keep forgetting words like those are some that you're probably not familiar with. An engineer is a person knowledgeable in the making and workings of complex contraptions and an innovation is just a really smart solution"

"It is nothing short of... surreal, to be in the presence of such things that are allegedly devoid of any trace of sorcery", Uto stated, still processing everything since meeting the armored strangers.

"Do you think perhaps, we could make things like these ourselves?", Thenrek asked.

"It would be nice to be free of some burdens"

"No, I'm sorry. The kind of things we use are made with certain tools and other things that, by the looks of it, your people simply don't have"

"So, could we perhaps lend some from you?...", Thenrek asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.

"No, I and all others who serve the COG are under strict orders to not allow non-COG to have direct possession of COG property"

"It was worth asking anyway..."

"I never said we couldn't help, we wouldn't be on this ship otherwise"

"Of course", Thenrek concurred sincerely.

"Assistance is, after all, what we need anyway"

"So, I must know; what exactly would you call Grant and these metal men of yours?", Uto asked.

"They would be what you'd call robots, or bots for short. They're entites built to serve specific purposes"

"And they can act and think on their own?"

"To a degree, yeah, but they don't really have 'free will', at least not the kind you're thinking of"

"I see... So, their loyalty is absolute?"

"Unless they have been deliberately been tampered with to not be, then yes, their loyalty is absolute and they're pretty good at what they're designed and built to do"

Uto nodded in understanding before massaging his temples and exhaling sharply.

"I think I will give these questions a rest for now. I'm starting to get a headache trying to comprehend everything you've shown and explained up until now. I need to go up for some fresh air", Uto stated before leaving to go up to the top deck.

"I will do the same", Thenrek stated before leaving to join Uto up on the top deck.

"I guess I could use a break too", Falaguerra stated before leaning up against the Armadillo.


TOP DECK OF THE SHIP.

"Man, I haven't been on a boat in years. Feels good to be on one again", Yokoyama stated, reminiscing pleasant childhood memories as he took in the view of the horizon, where the Blue Sea visually met the sky.

"You did boating, sailing or something back then?", Volkov asked.

"My dad and I used to go fishing every summer when I was just a kid, of course that is whenever Settlement Security approved of our fishing trips beforehand. We'd go out into the middle of a big lake and spend hours just scoring all kinds of catches. We let the little ones go and kept the really big ones to cook for dinner later. What about you, did you have any hobbies growing up?"

"Does competition shooting count?"

"Oh, that's right, Carmine told me about that"

"That I did. I was my Settlement's best shot for ten years in a row and the best in the Annual Inter-Settlement Tournament for nine years in a row. My streak for the former ended when I injured myself while working out and couldn't recover in time to participate. As for the latter, I was about to become old enough to enlist, so I devoted that time to instead prepare becoming a Gear"

"That's awesome. You think you could've gone professional if you didn't want to enlist?"

"Even then, no. Competition shooting was just a side thing I liked doing, not something I really ever wanted a career in"

"Fair enough"

"What about you, Yokoyama? I doubt working at a bookstore was your end goal. If it was, no offense"

"The bookstore job was something I wanted to do in the meantime until I figured out what I wanted to really do. Weirdly enough, the job seemed just right for me. It was easy work, I got to read all the books I wanted to during my breaks and overall, it was a relaxing experience. It almost seemed like I was where I should have been and where I should've stayed. In the end, that job did reveal what I really should have be doing, even if it was in a way I could have never expected..."

"The Swarm Invasion of Settlement Two was rough I heard"

"That's an understatement and a half..."

"Asides from wanting to honor the Gear that sacrificed his life for yours, what made you want to be a Gear, if anything?"

"After the Swarm Invasion of Settlement Two, I realized how sheltered I really was, of how I never actually faced any true hardships in life before and how really easy I had it. From then on, it didn't feel right to let others go out there and risk their lives while I lived a cushy life that I didn't feel was deserved in the first place"

"Guilt motivated you?"

"No, the overabundance of entitlement did, especially in a time when the Grubs are making a return"

"Fair enough, Yokoyama", Volkov responded with respect.

"Meanwhile, that weeb Langford is basing his career in the COG on some lofty and arbitrary anime bullshit. Dumbass thinks he's gonna win the Swarm War with the power of friendship or something", Volkov added.

"Don't be so harsh on the guy", Yokoyama advised.

"What are you, his dad? The dumbshit needs a reality check"

"I don't think the way you're trying to do that will yield results, at least not good ones"

"If I won't then something else will. The dude needs to grow up. The bare minimum got him here but it won't keep him here"

"Why do you hate me so much?..."

Turning around, Volkov and Yokoyama found Langford before them.

"How long have you been standing there?", Yokoyama asked.

"Long enough", Langford answered as he glared at Volkov with determined contempt.

"Good, so you got to hear what I said about you", Volkov added before smirking.

"I don't understand, Volkov. I keep to myself and do what I can for the team and yet only you have some kind of problem with me"

Before Volkov could respond, Langford continued.

"If you're not into what I'm into, that's perfectly fine. What isn't fine is you attacking me for it, especially if I'm minding my own business with regards to it. Ever since I explained my reason for wanting to join the COG all the way back at Italica, you started making all these assumptions about me, assumptions that you've entirely based the way you treat me on. I have more than enough helmet cam footage of all the slander you've made about me and at the end of this mission, I won't hesitate to have it shown as evidence of your abuse towards me to the-"

"You're blackmailing me?"

"No, I'm making it clear that I'll use the legal system in place to stop what you've been wrongly doing to me if you don't quit it"

"Oh please, you talked shit about my dead mother"

"I apologized for that and promised I wouldn't use that against you in future. I can't say the same for the disrespect you've shown me. I've studied and kept up to date on all the legal stuff about being a Gear and know my way around that; I can and will get you subjected to disciplinary action unless you start treating me better"

Volkov, more so out of just not wanting to put up anymore with Langford for now, conceded.

"Fine... I'm sorry. You didn't deserve the disrespect I've given you"

"And?"

"And I'll stop it for good"

"That'll do for now but we'll see if you really mean it, otherwise, well, you know what will happen", Langford explained firmly before leaving the two to go below deck and join Falaguerra in the Cargo Hold, with goblin guards in tow to maintain an eye on him.

"You didn't really mean that apology did you?", Yokoyama asked.

"No, not really, but if he really knows how to get me in hot water with top brass, I'll give it a rest. So far, I've had a clean enough record as a Gear and I'd like to keep it that way", Volkov answered.

Yokoyama shot Volkov a mildly disapproving look.

"What will it take for you to actually stop disrespecting him?"

"Something, that is without a shadow of a doubt, worthy of unending respect, but knowing Langford's abilities as a Gear, there's a slim chance of that happening"


SCAVENGER SHIP,
CARGO HOLD.

"Yeah, I can be there to vouch for you if they need a third party for confirmation"

"Thanks Sarge, Volkov's a bitch to work with"

"The incident back at the Keep where you bad-mouthed his dead mother doesn't really help your case, but it is a prime example of how easily the Corporal can lose his cool when faced with personal attacks and how easily he can move in to needlessly escalate things"

There was a short pause before Langford spoke again.

"Sarge?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't think I'm being a baby about all this do you?"

"No, not at all. On a grand scale, little and constant disagreements like that can go beyond as such into problems that really drive a wedge between squadmates, and eventually compromised team functionality. It doesn't take being a team leader to know that, especially when other people's lives are counting on us to get the job done right"

"Yeah, I'm with you on that one, Sarge"

"Volkov's capable, no doubt about that. If only he could stop needlessly stirring up shit..."

"That makes two of us"

Uto and Thenrek once again returned below deck to meet up with Falaguerra once they had sufficient time to mentally recover above deck.

"Need more explanations?"

"Sort of; after observing your subordinate there confronting another about some disagreements, my confidence in your team's cohesion has been put into question", Uto stated.

"Even if you have been sent to us through divine intervention, it has started to concern us that the mere bickering of mortals don't seem to be beneath you..."

Falageurra sighed deeply before addressing the concerns.

"Let me clarify by saying this; my team, and the COG by extension, aren't some flawless divine power made flesh and sent here by a higher power, were just humans, mortals, the kind definitely not exempt from error or imperfection. We're good enough at we do because of our training and resources, nothing more, nothing less"

"Hmmm... Humility AND power... I never thought I would live long enough to see such a thing...", Uto mused in surprise.

"Your people are truly otherwordly...", Thenrek added.

"I'll take that to mean you both understood what I just clarified", Falaguerra concluded.


TWO HOURS LATER.

"We will be arriving shortly", Uto stated as he eyed the island that he and his fellow Orcs and Goblins called home.

"Looks a lot 'richer' than I expected", Falaguerra commented.

"What do you mean?"

"I wasn't expecting an island so filled with that much... life", Falaguerra explained, as he noted the busy harbor they were heading for, situated against the coastal forest that, from the view at least, lined the entirety of the island.

"Yes, it is quite rich looking, but not as 'rich' as our history of oppression by the elves..."

"Don't worry, my team and I will destroy those eggs"

"I am confident that such a thing can be accomplished, it is more so the fact that once you leave after doing so, our lives will go on as it always has since our community's inception; constantly preparing and for and recovering from raids..."

"I'll have to get approval from my superiors before my team and I can even figure out how to deal with your elf raid problem"

"And I'm assuming you can communicate with your superiors over extreme distances for that?"

Falaguerra simply nodded.

"Because of course you can... Once again, I don't doubt your capabilities; if your military can crush the Saderans with impunity, then an isolated island of elves should be a trivial matter. My only concern is if your superiors will allow for aid beyond your mission"

"Look, I'll be honest with you; they probably will. I can't see why they wouldn't"

"If you say so, but I won't hold my breath"

"If you don't mind me asking but; how many of you left are there after all those raids?"

"See everyone there at the docks we will be arriving at soon?"

"Yeah?"

"That IS everyone left, inlcuding the Goblin Chieftain himself"

"Wow... That is not a left of people left..."

"There used to be hundreds of us. Another raid or two after the upcoming one without outside assistance from the likes of you and your team, my civilization as I knew it would cease to be..."

"Alright, look, even if my superiors don't approve of it, we'll make sure those elves stop bothering you regardless"

"Thank you, truly"

Some moments of silence passed before Uto spoke again.

"There is one last thing I'd like to know more about before we arrive"

"Is it about my military's history?"

"Yes. You mentioned that your military, the Kaug, as it is now fights for self-defense and the protection of others. What did it used to fight for before that?"

"The old COG decades ago did techincally do that but to a far lesser extent. Their priorities were set on something else; Imsulsion"

"Imulsion?"

"In my world, It was a literal liquid source of great power. It's what made so much of our civilization back then prosper so much. It presented so many opportunities for world-changing growth and innovation. Understandably, the COG and its opposition fought viciously over control for sources of it, especially the big ones. The fight for Imsulsion drove so many people from my world to commit atrocities for the sake of personal gain. Even when the nearly nine-decade-long war for it ended, my world was immediately under siege by another threat that forced us to put aside our past differences just to survive"

"What was this threat?"

"The Locust, an underground-dwelling race of highly intelligent and strong creatures, emerged one day and began a war, a conquest of the surface. The almost two decade war against them pushed the humans of my world to the edge of extinction, but in the end we managed to defeat them and simultaneously rid my world of practically all Imulsion. We finally saw peace and rebuilt for a time as the reformed COG, only for them to return a two and a half decades later in an altered form dubbed the Swarm. Right now, we're still fighting them"

"The Kaug as it is must be strong for it to be able to fight on two fronts; the Imperials in this world and the Swarm of yours"

"We're not perfect but we get by"

Uto simply laughed.

"Forcing the Imperials to their knees is more than just 'getting by', especially while fending off a returning threat responsible for almost destroying your civilization in the past"

"Maybe, but your community have been doing the latter since the very start, and with no outside help until now. Considering what you've had to work with before we arrived, what you're doing is more than just 'getting by' too"


AN HOUR AFTER DOCKING, DISEMBARKING AND UNLOADING,
CENTER OF THE GOBLIN AND ORC'S SETTLEMENT,
COMMUNAL MEETING POINT.

"I am Ehzu, Chieftain of all Learned Goblins. I rule and manage this island communtiy alongside Uto, Chieftain of all Learned Orcs. Every Orc and Goblin in this community does their part in keeping this island, the cradle of our existence, a place worthy to call home, especially in these tough times. Our population is not as it once was. Even I and Uto have had to expand our responsibilities beyond simply managing the community just to survive. Now, we can barely grow and gather enough to fend off starvation and we have barely enough combined strength to keep those seed-hungry elves at bay. Simply put, we will not be long for this world unless help from the outside can change all of this. Most fortunately, you are such a force and the aid you have willingly provided will change that for the better. We, as a people, are eternally in your debt and words cannot express how thankful we are. Whatever you may need from my people to assist in your efforts, now and in the future, do not hesitate to call upon us"

"You can save the gratitude for when we actually get the job done, but seeing as how you've all been without a helping hand from beyond this island till now, I can understand the feeling", Falaguerra responded.

"Indeed. Accommodations for your team and transport are currently being made. Simple tents and wooden storage boxes and shelves are all that we can offer in that regard", Ehzu explained.

"Don't worry about it. You all have enough on your hands as it is"

"In the mean time until your accommodations have been established, let us chat"

"Sure. Mind if I start this off?"

"Not at all"

"That wooden crane you used to lift our transport out of the ship, where did you get the know-how to build something like that?"

"The knowledge necessary for constructing that, all our other creations and practically everything we know comes from the many tomes and scrolls we have had to steal from Sadera and Rondel. We are not proud of such thievery, but given the choice of that or simply living incredibly savage and short lives as a result of a lack of amenities, the latter seemed more preferable"

"I don't blame you. Desperation will do that. Anything you want to know about us?"

"Most of what I wish to know has already been explained to me by Uto, based on what you have explained to him. So, this 'Kaug', was it responsible for slaying the Flame Dragon? No other faction, not even the Saderan Imperials, could slaying such a beast"

"Yeah, that was us. Well... not specifically 'us' but another team"

"As I suspected. Should it have continued living, it would have kept its eggs under a watchful eye, safe from thievery, especially from those elves..."

"Hey, that thing needed to be put down. It was causing serious death and destruction wherever it went. We couldn't have known that killing it would lead to-"

"I am not blaming the Kaug for what it had to do nor do I condemn them for it. We understand, as fellow survivors that had to endure monsters of our own. In fact, we should be grateful. Were it not for the circumstances that led your team here, we most likely would have had to continue fending off the elves by ourselves and with what little we have left, which would not have lasted much longer anyway as you already know"

"Yeah, that much is clear"

"Between now and the raid, will your team have enough time to prepare?"

"More than enough time. All we need is information on this island's layout and what you have at your disposal, and the Elves' island layout and what they have to work with"

"With all the knowledge we gained from all the counter-raids we conducted back when we still had a sizable population and ample resources, we have managed to put together a map of their island and all relevant points of interest. We still have that map, so feel free to use it as much as you need to"

"Will do"

"As for equipment and personnel, we practically have nothing to offer..."

"Don't worry about that. Everything we need we should already have brought with us and if we need to, I can request my own people back at Alnus to have more and whatever else to be delivered to us"

"Will there be anything else you need?"

"No, everything we need, time and all the relevant resources, we have"

"Very well. I would offer your team a meal but-"

"You've been hospitable to us as much as you can be. You can let us take over from here. In fact if you want, we got some food and water we can spare for all of you"

"But what about for yourselves?"

"Like I said, if we need anything else or more, we can have it delivered to us from Alnus on my request"

The stoic and hopeless expression that Ehzu once believed would never fade, had started to give way to a ghost of a smile, for the first time in centuries.

"I... I... Thank you, truly..."

Falaguerra simply nodded in acknowledgment of this.

"Alright, we'll be right back with the food and water"

And so, Upsilon Squad went to fetch some MREs from inside their Armadillo. Once they returned to their charges and instructed them in how to use and eat from one.


LATER THAT NIGHT,
UPSILON SQUAD'S TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATIONS.

"Sarge, we're out of MREs and water...", Langford stated as he looked into the now empty container that once held enough food and water for a few weeks.

Falaguerra nodded in acknowledgment and proceeded to contact Keep Control.

"Control, This is Upsilon"

"I copy, Upsilon. What do you have to report?", Mia asked.

"We have located the eggs. They seem to be in the possession of a group of elves, who happen to be hostile and intent on hatching them as part of a plan to subjugate a community of orcs and goblins we're currently staying with"

Mia took a few moments to register what Falaguerra had explained.

"Solid copy, anything else to report?"

"Yeah, so we shared our rations with the orcs and goblins since their food and water situation was critical. We ended up being a little too generous and now we're all out"

"Understood Upsilon, I'm arranging for a Raven to fly out to your position tomorrow with more food and water. Keep me posted"

"Wilco, thanks Control"

"Thank fuck they trust us enough now to have called off those guards watching us constantly", Volkov stated in relief.

"Man, it'd be creepy as hell to have them watch us we sleep...", Langford commented.

Volkov was about to respond to that but stopped himself. Yokoyama, as he finished setting up the last of the portable lamps around their temporary accommodations, noticed the active act of restraint Volkov demonstrated and gave him a thumbs up and a nod of approval.

Volkov sighed in dismissive frustration and went inside the squad's tent to get some rest for the night.


(Achievement Unlocked)

(20G - Monsters, Benign and Malevolent)

(Read Chapter 14)