Chapter 1. Meeting in another world. Part 1.

In the maritime region known as the "Great East", far from the "Three Great Civilized Lands", lies a vast continent. It covers an area roughly half the size of Australia, too small to be considered a full-fledged continent, yet too large to be called an island. This land, called "Rodenius", is home to three nations, each with its own unique culture and history.

The "Principality of Qua-Toyne" is a fertile land blessed with rich soil and extensive agricultural lands. The people of Qua-Toyne highly value hard work and independence, and over the years, they have built strong communities based on mutual support. Demi-humans—such as elves, dwarves, and beastmen—who wish to live in harmony with humans, make up a third of the population. The society here is widely known for its equality. In recent years, the government of Qua-Toyne, concerned with the expansionist ambitions of its neighbors, has increased its efforts to bolster its defenses, focusing on establishing diplomatic ties and strengthening its borders.

The "Kingdom of Quila" is a poor nation with vast desert regions, where the climate and soil make agriculture an incredibly difficult task. The people of Quila are resilient and unpretentious, accustomed to harsh conditions. Like Qua-Toyne, roughly a third of the population consists of demi-humans. Quila and Qua-Toyne share a mutual distrust and concern about the Kingdom of Louria, as the people of Quila anxiously watch the growing hostile ambitions of their neighbor. Support for equality between humans and demi-humans is much weaker here than in Qua-Toyne, which sometimes leads to internal conflicts and tensions among the population.

The "Kingdom of Louria" is the only country where humans are the dominant race. Louria is known for its strict laws and discrimination against demi-humans such as elves, dwarves, and beastmen. Under the leadership of a harsh and ambitious king, Louria seeks to unite Rodenius, believing that it should become the ruling power in this union. The king views demi-humans as a threat to the purity and unity of the nation and plans their complete eradication, which has already led to bloody clashes in some border regions.

The people of Qua-Toyne and Quila are united by a common threat from Louria. The governments of both nations are trying to strengthen their alliance, but ideological differences and internal disagreements complicate this task. Against the backdrop of this tense situation, the influence of underground movements protecting demi-humans is growing, along with espionage activities aimed at gathering intelligence on Lourian military operations.

Central Calendar Year 1639, Month 1, Day 24, 8:00 AM / New World Calendar Year 0000, May 10, 8:00 AM

The morning sky over the Principality of Qua-Toyne was covered by a thin layer of clouds, obscuring the horizon and leaving only a clear blue expanse. In this boundless aerial space, a majestic dragon soared—an imposing creature with coal-black scales and a tail sharp as a blade. If a modern-day person from Earth had seen it, they would have instantly recognized it as a dragon, or perhaps, a wyvern—a name so familiar to die-hard fantasy fans.

The rider, clad in simple yet incredibly functional armor, guided the enormous wyvern with remarkable ease. This was Maarpatima, a knight of the Dragon Squadron of Qua-Toyne. His keen eyes and sharp mind were focused on guarding the eastern borders of the principality. The Kingdom of Louria, a dangerous neighbor, was expanding its influence, and the tension between the countries was growing. For Qua-Toyne, it was crucial to monitor the east and northeast—areas from where an attack was suspected to come.

Maarpatima and his partner followed strict orders. Their task was to be the first to detect any border violations. Beneath them stretched the sea, its endless waters tempting adventurers to the east, but all who ventured there in search of new lands vanished without a trace, as though dissolving into the void.

"What is that?" Maarpatima muttered, frowning. His gaze was drawn to a tiny dark object appearing on the horizon. It slowly, yet relentlessly, grew larger, and the rider felt a sense of unease. "Could it be an ally?"

For a moment, he thought it might be a wyvern from a friendly squadron. It was believed that only he and his partner patrolled the skies in this region. The distant Three Great Civilized Lands possessed sea vessels capable of carrying dragons—Dragon Carriers (similar to aircraft carriers, but wooden)—but in this forgotten part of the world, such technology was beyond reach.

Maarpatima watched as the object slowly approached, its size growing large enough to discern details. A heavy feeling crept into his heart—this was no creature he knew.

"It's not flapping its wings?" Maarpatima whispered, staring at the object in disbelief. It hovered without so much as a flutter of its wings, as if defying the laws of nature. He quickly activated his manacom to contact the base: "I've detected an unidentified flying object. Performing identification. Current location…"

Maarpatima steered the wyvern closer to the object, closing the distance. The closer he got, the more astounded he became by the object's size. It was a massive flying vessel, with four enormous rotating blades attached to its wings. Its snow-white hull stood out starkly against the sky, and on its wings was a five-pointed star, resembling a symbol the rider had never seen, even in the Three Great Civilized Lands. From the tips of its wings, flashing lights blinked rhythmically, almost as if proclaiming its indifference to the surrounding world.

Maarpatima, following the plan precisely, ordered his wyvern to gain speed. The wings spread wide and flapped with fierce force, cutting through the oncoming wind. But despite all efforts, the distance between him and the unidentified object only increased.

"Ugh...! What kind of monster is that?!" he exclaimed, unable to suppress his despair and fury at realizing his helplessness. He contacted the base again, hoping his words would reach command: "Command! This is rider of the sixth squadron, Maarpatima! I cannot identify the object, its speed is too great! I can't continue the pursuit! The unidentified object is heading toward Maykhark, deeper into the continent. I repeat! It's heading toward Maykhark!

Maarpatima struggled to stay on the tail of the mysterious vessel, but it relentlessly pulled ahead until, finally, it vanished into the distance, leaving the dragon knight stunned and alarmed.

At the same time, the crew of the Tu-142.

"Commander, we've got a contact to the northeast," reported the assistant, leaning over the radar, where a small but rapidly approaching dot had appeared.

The Tu-142 commander, an experienced pilot with many years of service, glanced at the display, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"I see it... What the hell, is that a pterosaur?"

"Holy...! That's... a real dragon!"

His assistant nodded in agreement, realizing how incredible this might seem, but remained calm.

"Yes, Commander."

The commander turned to the crew. Seeing a flying reptile in this region was an unusual sight. Whatever this creature was, it clearly didn't present a familiar threat. His team knew the protocol for unexpected contacts, especially with such "surprises."

"So, it somehow made it here... No aggressive action. Maintain course and observe. Is the team clear?"

"Yes, Commander!"

"Proceed," he ordered briefly.

The rendezvous point between the Tu-142 crew and the rider on the wyvern was closing in. The crew observed the creature through the portholes with a mix of curiosity and caution. Its wings beat the air steadily, holding its massive body aloft. The gleam of its black scales was visible even from this distance, reminding the crew of the immense power this creature possessed.

The rider appeared like the embodiment of some ancient knight—leather armor hugging his form, with a helmet on his head that had a protruding neckguard, reminiscent of an alien skull from a famous movie. As the commander studied the scene, he couldn't help but feel as if he had stepped into another reality, one that had emerged from ancient legends or films.

"Wow... he's got a beast," he muttered, momentarily stunned, before glancing back at the reptile. After a pause, he added, appraising it: "Graceful, powerful... pitch-black, as if cloaked in darkness, with wings wrapped around it," he said, licking his lips.

His assistant watched the rider and his wyvern's maneuvers with tense focus.

— "Commander, they're getting closer," he reported calmly, keeping a close eye on the wyvern, which was steadily closing the distance between them.

The commander smiled calmly.

— "They still won't catch us. Our speed is too much for them. Let's stick to the plan. Don't change course."

— "Yes, Commander!"

The crew of the Tu-142 focused on the instruments, watching the wyvern as it gradually disappeared behind them.

Principality of Qua-Toyne. Base of the Sixth Squadron of Dragon Riders.

Young elf Calmia, serving as the mana communication operator, listened attentively to the signal coming through the manacom. Suddenly, her expression changed when she heard unexpected words spoken by the mechanical voice of the device.

— "Currently, the unidentified flying object is in the airspace, 130 kilometers to the northeast of the base. Our patrols cannot pursue it! The object is very large and, apparently, does not flap its wings. Its speed significantly exceeds ours!" the voice transmitted with a tone of confusion.

Kalmiya furrowed her brow and transmitted an order.

— "Report on the object's affiliation!" Her voice sounded firm, though a trace of worry flickered in her eyes.

With the constant threat of attack from the Kingdom of Louria, where tensions had reached a boiling point, she suspected that the object might be part of enemy reconnaissance. The response came promptly.

— "Object affiliation is unknown!" repeated the lifeless voice of the manacom.

Calmia, not wasting any time, asked further.

— "Is there a chance it's an elder dragon or another type of magical creature?"

— "Negative. It is neither an elder dragon nor a wyvern from the Kingdom of Louria. We don't know if it's a living creature or not! Immediate reinforcements are required!"

Kalmiya quickly ran to the base commander, trying to process what she had just heard.

The commander met her with a wary glance.

— "An unidentified object, you say?" He seemed to weigh every word carefully, staring at her intently.

— "Yes, Commander. The object is moving at an extremely high speed and does not flap its wings," Calmia replied, — "this was reported by rider Maarpatima."

The commander froze, stunned by what he had heard.

— "Doesn't flap its wings... That can't be!" he murmured, astonished.

But then a thought struck him. Among the rumors circulating from the Great Powers, there was one about a country using devices called "flying ships."

A realization hit him: maybe this is something like that.

— "The object is heading toward Mihark, from the northeast. If it continues on its course, it will soon reach the mainland," Calmia reported, understanding the gravity of the moment.

The commander immediately issued an order:

— "Deploy all reserve knights of the Sixth Order of Dragon Riders! If this is a scout, it must be intercepted. Our army's honor is at stake, and we must protect the Principality's dignity."

The command center sprang to life; every dragon rider knew this was about the defense of their homeland. The battle alarm echoed throughout the base, rousing the brave warriors, ready to take flight in the face of the unknown.

The command center immediately sprang to life; every dragon rider knew this was about defending their homeland. The battle alarm spread through every corner of the base, rousing brave warriors ready to take flight to face the unknown.

— "All knights of the Sixth Squadron of Dragon Riders, prepare for battle! An unidentified object has approached Maihark and breached our airspace. Identify and shoot it down! I repeat, shoot it down on first contact!" the order was transmitted via manacom.

Dragon riders surged out of the barracks, equipped and ready for takeoff. Soon, twelve wyverns, wings spread wide in pride, soared into the clear sky, moving in perfect formation.

They were prepared to intercept the unidentified object, which, once a mere dot on the horizon, was now rapidly growing larger.

One of the riders, feeling a surge of inner excitement, muttered under his breath:

— "Damn, what the hell is that thing?"

— "A monster, no doubt," another rider responded, never taking his eyes off the approaching object.

The speed of this creature was astonishing. Even considering their own speed, it was flying so fast that it seemed impossible to catch up.

The squadron captain, a determined and experienced rider, gave the command:

— "Prepare to fire fireballs! Its speed exceeds ours, so we have only one shot. As soon as it flies past, shoot, and show the results of our training!"

His words inspired the riders, and they readied themselves for the attack.

The wyverns synchronously opened their jaws, concentrating magical energy into fireballs, each capable of burning any flying dragon to ash. Whirls of energy swirled within their mouths, ready to unleash on the target.

But as soon as the fire took shape, the object suddenly changed course and began rapidly ascending. The riders froze, watching in awe as the unidentified object effortlessly reached an altitude beyond even their wyverns' capabilities, their ceiling being four thousand meters. The fireballs fizzled out instantly, and the attack was canceled.

The captain, stunned by the maneuver, activated his manacom to report:

— "This is the Sixth Squadron, reporting to Headquarters. We've identified an unidentified object. As we prepared to attack, it sharply ascended and is now continuing toward Maihark at high altitude. I repeat, the object is moving forward without losing speed."