"Who were they?!" The voice roared, the senator's booming voice bouncing around the dome of the hall, hurling into a wind that brushed her hair to the side.
Pina turned to the Senator, eyes burning with radiance. She was alone, but that did not mean she would yield.
Pina stood firm, even as the mounting questions tried to swallow her whole, tearing her apart like wolfmen. And in the midst of it, the stone cold eyes of her father that held hers with captive attention.
But ech question thrown at her made her legs wobbly, her heart pounding her chest as she was cornered, with no way to go. Was this the treatment of a princcess or a prisoner?
Her eyes were trained straight to nowhere, unfocused even with the predatory gazes around her that were as numerous as the beating of her heart. But even in such a state she could tell the fight behind their voices, as the senate turned into panicking lambs as each question was not from one spokesman from a faction, but multiple contradictory ones. What would their esteemed ancestors thought of them, baring their names but not their spirit?
She darted her eyes to catch a glimpse at her father, almost seeing the bloodied ropes he held just as tightly like the stare he had trained on her.
"Disciples of the old Gods. Mars, the God of War." She answered curtly, the sharp tone in her voice tearing apart the conviction of the men around her.
The room began to murmur in surprise, as the barrier between the senate melted against the insurmountable truth.
Even her father's masks fractured, casuing Pina to smile a bit. The eyes will trained on her like wolves, but their confidence was shattered.
Their strength regrouped, their hushed gossip acted more like school children than adults, even as the orater ordered silence twice.
"Did they speak? Did they reveal their intentions about us?" One senator asked.
Pina towered over them as her mind rose higher, as she held their rapt attention now, not as one of royal blood, but as a warrior from the frontlines.
"No. Their only interests at the time were the destruction of those… beasts."
"Even after the conclusion of the battle, they, even the leader, showed compassion by rescuing a couple of civilians."
Pina gave a pregnant pause, gazing the eager eyes of her audience as she witholdnthe golden nugget of intelligence.
"I suspect that they were merely scouts, not as a true army. They were small in number, and their leader confided to me that their supplies were limited, so they asked me for help."
It was then Zorzal erupted, pointing a accusatory finger towards his sister.
"As you say that, they threatened to kill me and my escorts with their weapons! They ignored the proper greetings and disregarded my questioning!"
Pina snorted.
"Zorzal, you scared them!"
But Zorzal still continued on, appearing fearful and distraught as he eyed the crowd in front of him.Pina could just watch as he slowly wrapped their attention towards himself.
"No, they were ready to kill me. They are after us, gentlemen."
He turned to her, eyes shooting daggers.
"How would you know if they are even human? Have you seen their true faces?"
He then turned to everyone in the chamber, arms outstretched as he laid bare his truth.
"They are after us. It was told to us that our Ancestors wanted sanctuary in our Elysium. That it was Plague, fires, rot, and war that devastated our twin Empires. The same afflictions that fit us today. Reports from Yggdrasil are coming in from Italica that food production isn't possible with the current weather, and Proptor has been flooded."
Reason could quell such statements. The blinding truth had such an effect.
But that light was being afflicted by the power Zorzal wielded.
It was then Molt coughed, eyes looking down at his two children.
"That will be all."
The Emperor's orders. Such was that.
The senators immediately disposed of her as their eyes were drawn to the speaker that quietly passed her along to the guards as they escorted her out of the palace hall.
"For our next topic of importance, the mobilisation of the army..."
But the doors were shut as she was outside, kept out of mind by those oh so important senators.
Pina sighed, trying to let go of the tiredness and frustration draining the last bit of strength within her, yet both of those demons rattled inside her.
But she had to put the mask back on. The hallways were full of people, the families of the Senators who could still attend the meeting, crowding one another in warmth in their fine, disheveled attire.
All of their eyes tracked her, but Pina marched forward, unable to tell if those stares with curiosity or disdain. Probably the latter, as the Second Child of the Emperor was a dagger in a box of jewelry, her clothes bloodied and full of sweat, eyes trained to kill and not to pounce, her womanly features sheathed not wielded.
She finally breathed as exited the senate to its outside balcony, which was already caked in a fine layer of dust, revealing to her the edge of the horizon in an eternal glow of pure yellow, that stood in defiance of the night sky.
Even in the night the city itself was alive, as fires spread all over it. The fire bridages and mages were called to assist, but it was a small bucket in a raging river.
The wind carried the screams of the damned, their sharp tones of angusih piercing through her armor, as she was helpless to assist them, even in such a short distance.
She kept her eyes trained outside, trying to ignore the pain within her capitol.
Yet she turned, seeing the mighty senate hall towering over her, it's features ignoring passage of time as well with it's stony facade.
Across from it, was Ceasarius Hill. The lights of the Palace were still burning bright, the gardens still immaculate, illuminating to the chaos below of how safe the throne of the Emperor appeared.
It was a monument to Sadera as a whole. That so long as the Palace and the Senate stood, Sadera's existance still held.
But it was merely a facade, as both buildings were just as rotten as the outside, in many ways than one.
She nodded at Pretorian guard stading order, their bodies standing strong admist their scuffed armor, and halberds stained with blood.
"Pina."
She resurfaced to see a blonde haired woman storming into her space, whose eyes that burned as brightly as the horizon as they burrowed into hers. Her taller frame encased in ornate armor boxed Pina in the balcony.
Yet she was a mess. As her drilled hair was matted, her face covered in dirt and sweat, with rivers of tears breaking it apart.
"How's the order?" Pina asked, the dryness in her voice made Bozes sour at her.
"They've been dispersed to meet with their families, but I kept them on alert. What about you, Your Majesty?"
Pina sighed, before bearing down to her subordinate.
"I'm just… tired. I guess. Nobody ever took us seriously. So many of us are already gone, married off already."
Pina closed her eyes.
"Maybe the Senate was right."
A sudden slap jolted Pina's sense.
Despite the sharp pain, Pina could feel the armored boots of the Pretoreian Guard advancing towards her.
She raised her hand in a gesture for them to stand down, which they complied.
Pina turned, to find Bozes cackling.
"You, being a defeatist? The Empire has truly fallen if that must be the case."
Pina gritted her teeth, trying to push Bozes to her point with a single strike.
"I just wanted to be useful to the Empire. That I'm not just some bastard child!"
But the blonde knight gazed into Pina's eyes warmly, and without a word, Bozes hugged Pina, enveloping her friend into her harsh embrace.
"You are useful. To everyone in the Rose order, and to me. You kept us going even after everyone told us not."
"I know… I just wish everyone else could see it too."
Pina looked up, trying to see past the clouds for a moment, before turning to her friend.
"You know Bozes, you wouldn't earn any suitors with your brash behavior."
Bozes chuckled.
"Good, then it means whoever suitor Pina approves will be suitable for me."
She closed her eyes, blocking the burning skies that penetrated the expansive white balcony, Breathing in her strength as she felt the mana flowing within her. It was only her, and the ritual circle in front of her. There was no one else, even the whispers of the wind fell silent. She exhaled.
She felt the mana gushing out of her, the pressure from exerting so much mana to tear a hole the encased reality she was in, before pressing her arms against the hex, channeling her power into the circle.
But it wasn't enough.
The spell broke apart, the gushing follow of mana closed off, the remaining charge rapidly dispersing around reality, causing a ripple effect that caused the pristine white marble to crack in fear. The hex screamed in pain before dying, the light growing dimmer and dimmer.
Hardy screamed in rage, tears falling down her eyes.
"Work now!" She screamed at the tattered ritual.
But only silence answered her.
The door behind her creaked open, revealing a young girl wearing a frilly white dress
"Mistress! Are you-"
Hardy lunged at her, her body immediately succumbing to her Goddess's control.
Hardy felt the rush of being a mortal once more, feeling the sweet tears of frustration down her eyes.
And began to trash everything in the room, the girl's soul screaming at her to stop, more deliciously when the body felt pain, its bones snapping and flesh turning red.
By the time the ordeal had ended, the body was covered in blood and fractured bones, but mostly intact compared to the rest of the room.
She let go of the mortal body, too exhausted to even notice the cries of the young girl.
It hadn't been according to plan since day one.
The JSDF were supposed to be fighting the Empire, putting them in their place and striking their arrogance so the status quo would be restored. For as tough as the JSDF were, they could be controlled by their primarily ground forces. Difficult, yes. Reckless. But controllable.
But the large aircraft roared above, mocking her as they danced above her reach, leaving her to grit her teeth in the dusty air.
She rubbed her temples, trying to push her train of thought, as confusion rained down on her.
Big Mistake.She thought, knowing how such a large mana footprint wouldn't go unnoticed.
She should've been the one to kill Flare.
With a cackle, she uttered a spell.
And in a sparse moment, the cracks in reality began to form.
Before it shattered into pure white.
She opened her eyes, to see the crumbling pantheon in front of her, the rotting structure trembling in her presence as she walked down its marble steps, eyeing the numerous thrones that were a few decades away from being rubble.
And as she basked in the oculus in the middle, she stared at the immaculate silver throne in the first one.
And sat on it, feeling the elven silk caress her form.
She closed her eyes, sinking into the Euphoria.
And she opened, eyes scant meters away from Death, the dead black orbs dipped in bloodlust, dagger pressed against her neck. He stared down at he with cold retribution, as she could see the thousands of dead screaming out for retribution.
"What happened."
Hardy merely shrugged, adding a scoff to infuriate the older god.
"Pretty sure it was Flare."
The room silenced, with the female goddess savoring the palpable tension like one of her delicious wines.
"The man still lives. How impressive."
Emroy shool his head, before pressing his hands against his forehead, groaning.
"After everything we did to his church."
"Everything you did." Hardy pointed out. "I just made sure that everyone knows not to worship Flare anymore."
A few seconds past by in the silence, as a scattered thoughts passed through the gods from their eyes.
"Well, what about these new nations?"
She shifted the her hand, showing a engraved metallic placard, showcasing a globe with large landmass that expanded northward, detailing words in big, blocky letters.
NORTH AMERICAN COMMONWEALTH DEFENSE CORPS.
"America."
Emroy gave out a deep, hearty laugh that dragged itself out for a few, painful seconds, as Hardy glared at him.
"Oh, the force you didn't want to include into Falmart, has now strolled itself without warning." He then looked straight at Hardy. "You idiot. You should've-"
His laughter turned into hoarseness as Hardy cracked apart his mind, tearing his mind and soul apart with her magic, and drawing each and every second to an inescapable eternity.
The God of death's eyes rolled back in his sockets, his contorted face making his mouth pouring out endless foam to the floor, as he experienced both the helplessness of death and suffering of life in but a single moment and a million years. And yet, his mangled mouth contorted into a manic smile as he faced her.
"Enough!" Zufmuut commanded, and Hardy saw her hands halt. Her body stood still, unconscious mind following Zufmuut's orders, with anger from her consciousness.
She could hear Emroy below her like the dog he was, coughing out blood, spit and laughter as he regained his senses, staring at Hardy with a flushed face and a manic smile.
"You dumb bitch."
That earned him a severe blow to the back of his head by the God of Order's staff. That gave Emroy a violent fit of bloodied coughs.
"You two keep on acting like children. It is imperative we deal with this imbalance."
He sighed, turning to the two.
"If we cannot retain the established equilibrium, then let us forge a new one."
"Thank you, Lieutenant. That will be all."
Isaac barely mustered a salute as his mind struggled to adjust to the sudden rise of his exhausted body, his ears barely hearing the scrape of the chair behind him.
He barely made eye contact with the Captain, but he grabbed on to it like a man starved, as he forced a smile to hide the tired frustration to his torturer.
"Thank you sir."
The Intel weenie, gave his best punchable smile, illuminated under the worst lighting ever.
Isaac carefully tread on each step out of the room, his body barely heeding his mind's commands. As he exited to the empty steel hallway.
But as the door closed behind him, Isaac sighed out the angst that simmered within him, dragging along with it any enthusiasm deep in his cavities.
He plopped down the plastic seat next to the door, leaning against the wall. His eyes view vacantly on the ceiling above, thoughts scattered and fragmented like dust in the stars, unable to form into anything coherent as he craved for that nothingness to swallow him whole.
So much so that he didn't notice Torres's dead brown eyes boring into him.
"Damn, he really wrung you out." He commented, before taking a puff out of a nicotine stimulant. Isaac sighed out his exhaustion.
"What do you think? I'm the only one who spoken to them at length."
Without a reply, Torres immediately took in a puff of Nicotine, eyes lidded in euphoria.
"Come on, Isaac. Peter isn't that bad once you get to know him."
"You're only saying that because Octo keeps on hitting you. You don't see how he treats us."
"Not everyone is evil."
Torres stared at his junior in the eye as he inhaled the nicotine, before blowing the smoke to her face.
Marie coughed under a hail of smoke, and Isaac slightly ebowed Torres.
"*Cough* you know that's bad for you?" She asked under a hail of coughs.
Isaac grinned.
"Alice, we have a high likelihood of dying. What's one more to the pile?"
Torres, looked at Isaac, before taking out the stimulants out of his mouth.
"Smoke?"
Isaac nodded, staring at the cylindrical rectangle.
"Eh, sure."
Isaac took a swift, smooth whiff out of it. It wasn't the same authentic cigar Jasper's Father used, but it was enough, as he basked in the euphoria, against the slightly disgusted face of Alice.
It was then the perfectly timed steps of boots made them all rose in attention, as Japser came to meet them outside the Fleet Intelligence Service office. Torres groaned, unable to grab the nicotine in Isaac's hands.
Almost immediately, their CO shot them down, as he smiled towards them, until he glared darkly at Isaac's nicotine stimulant, quietly shifteing to a disappointed look at Isaac, then at Torres.
Isaac gulped, as he felt the uncomfortable silence as the dashing Captain stared daggers at the old Lieutenant.
Until Jasper returned to his trademarked smile, looking at Alice.
"Let's head to the chowline. Talking to Octo made me hungry."
Torres smiled.
"Tell me about it. You think the Corps would be more efficient on the Decontamination and Briefings, but nope."
That perked Jasper, as he turned behind his junior officers.
"Can't even hit the bed after this. After action reports until next watch."
All of them groaned.
A chorus of cheers awaited them as they entered, startling both Isaac and Marie, as they met several dozen sets of eyes from the SI officers that occupied the Officer Mess.
Isaac gave a small smile as he felt the pat on his back, even as they began to pain him, goving small talk as they congratulated him, which contrasted to Alice who took in every one's bait of conversation with glee.
Japer took the admiration in the air and used it to inflame his ego, while Torres gave an irritated, but sly smile.
Yet as thwy sat on the mettalic seating, the cook, prepared them their food in steaming hot plates, their strong smell calming everyone down.
Isaac's eyes bulged as the food was handed to them by the chefs.
"Prime Steaks. Made from the last of the Nebraskan Ranches."
Isaac looked at one of them.
"Isn't this-"
A nudge from Torres told him to be quiet and be grateful, as he savored the prime piece with attentive bites.
The crowd around them began to hin as they also were served with steaks, as they eagerly gobbled down the prime actual stake in their own tables, the loud capophany of noise turned to barely shout.
Ywt it was loud enough for Isaac to barely feel his PDP calling out to him from his pocket, which he fished it out of.
How's the steak?
How's the Party, Carlos?
A pause.
Iris is lapping it up, leering at some young nugget. Fredricks is a goddamn mess. Kid's rattling off bs as fast as a chain gun.
Isaac smiled.
Eh. Let them be. We'll probably regret it with Lindhall being the CO, after all.
A low chuckle whispered from his ear, as Jasper looked over his shoulder, steak still half done, in comparison to Torres who lubricated his steak with beer.
"Damn. Didn't know you and Carlos had a thing."
Isaac chuckled.
"Fuck you."
Isaac nursed his head, trying to keep his eyes wide open enough, even as his head was threatening to crack itself apart.
He watched as Jasper struggled as well, even as the dark bags on his eyes ruined the perception of his flawless body. Giving Isaac a clue that this meeting was sudden, as he could see the menacing red notification that blared in his PDP, shown in the dead of night. An Immediate giveaway.
But regardless, Isaac looked sort of presentable, and hoped that the Major understood why they were so, and speaking of the others…
Alice was barely even trying. Only Torres was still Torres, looking at Jasper with a complicated expression, his eyebags a sort of infamous trait he held.
He then looked over to his teammates, where Carlos was wearing his camo uniform with a bleary expression, while the two junior enlisted could barely stay awake. Only Fredricks gave a goofy look as he stared back at the lieutenant, giving a 'all good man' gesture.
He could feel the atmosphere past the layer of fatigue that numbed his senses, as the entire briefing room was held up in suspense, and not even the air conditioning could cool the burning tension behind him, where the trump card of the STT sat.
SEALs.
"Attention!"
The NCOIC barked, causing everyone to rouse up, as the old face Major Lindhall entered the briefing room, scanning the faces of each section, leaving a stare for a single second on the barely hidden bleary faces of the Force Recon section.
He stood in the center of the room, and waited for the anticipation to simmer, before speaking up.
"Greetings. We have two special announcements."
He then turned on the holoprojection, showcasing an important message from SOCOM, straight from Terra with it's signature numerous black bars.
"The higher ups in the Defense Department have decided to let the STT stay here."
Almost immediately, Isaac could hear low level murmurs, as the air of professionalism began to rapidly deteriorate, under the wall face expression of the Major. Isaac silently handed Torres' hand his 20 Commonwealth bucks.
"However, we'll have to lend over 2/3rds of the Combat Controller and Spaceborne Rescue back to Vinland. 'reallocation of strategic resources', they call it."
So it would be cloak and dagger then. No more wars against an genocidal, unmistakably evil threat.
Isaac eye's twitched, his calm demeanour cracking.
STT weren't garrison troops. They were SpecOps. And the transfer of units confirmed that garrisoning wasn't the only thing in the Corps' mind.
"Lastly, to plug the gap, Japan has transferred a platoon of their Special Insertion Group, and a team of Special Commandos. They have enough combat experience, as this is a joint training mission."
Almost immediately, a bunch of Japanese men and women in green grey camo appeared into the briefing room, a stream of distinct faces that showed every range of emotion.
"What do you make of them?"
Carlos gazed on their new comrades, gazing for a single moment on each and every one of him, carrying a unreadable expression.
"A bunch of them are inexperienced young kids. But a few are promising."
"What have you heard about Japan?"
"Nada."
Carlos grunted frustration.
"Jesus. Stop listening to Interstellar Fleet crap. It's all regurgitated censored shit."
Carlos then closed his eyes, trying to brush some dust off his memories.
"A tussle here and there, up at the Arctic."
Isaac gazed on the numerous Japanese troop in grey white camo, seeing some of them their weathered faces and rows of medals, making them look like they did more than a bit of tussling.