The New Empire

by salva30

Spear and Spell was one of many games of the 24th century, a dark fantasy game set in the late 18th century. Unfortunately, the largest empire in the game has all of his players trapped in their game as their characters on another world, a world dominated by another empire, the Saderan Empire.

6. Chapter 6

Lake "Great Sea"

2 days after the Cataclysm
(17:23 / 5:23 PM)

Pirwoon, warlord of the 7th Air Regiment

The warm wind was a nice change from the frigid temperatures I was used to. The scaled beast that acted as my mount seemed to agree with me because it no longer blew smoke out of its nose every so often to keep itelf warm.

Looking again at the watch on my wrist, I realized that almost three hours of flight had already passed. Fortunately, land was already close so we could let our mounts rest, and thanks to the fact that the water was drinkable, they could cool off.

Looking back I reviewed the status of my riders. 2 more dragons were flying in a V-shaped formation with me at the top. On the backs of both beasts, mine included, I could see the riders in their loose clothes fluttering in the wind. Our armor was plated in brass, so it appeared to be made of gold with long crimson clothes hanging from our shoulders and hips.

Our helmets were of a vaguely similar design to the "lobster tail" helmet with a large black glass screen in front reinforced with thick metal rods, which allows us to see despite the strong wind, and thanks to the black glass we can cast incantations without anyone reading our lips. The black glass also functioned as "sunglasses", because in the skies, the last thing you want to be is blinded by the sun. Behind our heads we also wore long crimson feathers similar to horse tails that were as long as we were.

The dragons, meanwhile, were gigantic beasts with four legs and two wings on their shoulders with scales of different but equally striking colors, mine for example being a shiny red. Our saddles were at the base of their necks where we riders had control of the beast thanks to long leashes we used to communicate with them. Their necks were as thick as a horse's torso and were protected with small horns, horns that we used to anchor our equipment, weapons and passengers. Around his belly, legs, the bottom of his neck and head he was protected by metal plates, since those areas were the most exposed when doing overhead passes.

Obviously the best weapon of a dragon rider was the dragon, since these were strong beasts capable of breathing fire and resisting a lot of damage, but they were not especially fast compared to other flying creatures, that is why I as a rider and my passengers had weapons to defend him from other flying beings such as pikes and carbines.

My passengers meanwhile were two wyverns with their respective riders, these had armor similar to that of a bird of prey made out of heartened leather and few pieces of metal, designed mainly to be aerodynamic because their animals, the wyverns did not have much resistance compared to their larger cousins, the wyverns are also incapable of breathing fire, but they are faster and smaller than dragons, that is why their riders use long cavalry pikes or blunderbusses to attack flying enemies.

Thanks to their small size, barely being 2 horses in length, the wyverns could calmly rest on the backs of the dragons and act as anti-aircraft defenses if needed, they could also launch flechettes from above in case they needed to attack ground targets to wear down their flag bearers and their defense blessings. Finally, they also acted as guides for the dragons thanks to the use of flares. During the day you can easily differentiate allies from enemies, but at night? Impossible, at least not without the use of flares

With a gesture of my arms I indicated to my group to land. After all, the air can deafen anyone, with my reins I sent the message to my beast who happily obeyed.

Holding on, I made sure I was securely tied before the dragon hit the ground. Unlike wyverns who can land and take off wherever they want, dragons due to their size and weight needed a small "landing strip" to decelerate, fortunately the lake is surrounded by plains, so finding a place where a dragon CANNOT land is really difficult.

Touching the ground, I unhooked myself from my chair so I could stand up with the creaking of my back to relieve my sorrow momentarily. Taking off my helmet, I turned to face the wyverns that had taken off momentarily to facilitate the landing.

- Let your mounts drink something before making a perimeter, I want them take note everything of importance within a 2km (1.2 miles) radius, I want you back in..., - I looked at my watch - 32 minutes - Both riders nodded before moving their mounts towards the water where the rest of the dragons and wyverns were drinking the water next to the riders who were collecting the water to boil it

- Pir, when are we going to the city? - Someone asked me

- I just want to make sure - I said as I took out a large piece of dry meat that was hanging from a net that each dragon had to transport supplies.

Approaching its snout, it opened its jaws to be fed. Making sure there was nothing in the way, I moved away from his head before giving him two taps on his helmet to indicate that he could now close his mouth and eat.

Thus we waited and rested

Taking a break in the sun, we realized how hot it was in our heavy armor without the wind to cool us down, but not even twenty minutes passed before both wyverns returned.

- PIR, PIRWOON! - One of these called while practically jumping from his mount, his loud voice worried me, so I stood up - We found part of the fleet, they were under attack and stranded downstream! -

- Fuck... EVERYONE ON YOUR MOUNT - I shouted before using a metal whistle to wake up those who had fallen asleep. My dragon wasted no time and immediately grabbed my cloak in his mouth before setting me down on his mount. I know animals aren't players, but damn if they're smart.

The air formation quickly formed again. We all began to prepare for combat, flares were prepared, pikes placed, and carbines loaded.

Fifteen minutes of dragon flight later, we began to see the previously described battlefield in the distance, a dozen ships had run aground in one way or another, with only one still operable and floating.

These were large ships, but from the design I knew immediately that they were not from the central fleet, but the western fleet, these smaller ships were flatter and wider to be able to navigate the rivers of the western islands as well as making them difficult to capsize in the calm waters.

Soldiers shot arrows at each other, from the ships, destroyed or not, towards the enemies surrounding the stranded fleet.

However, from above, I could see many enemy soldiers fleeing at our mere presence.

From the fleet, multiple imperial flags began to wave indicating the allied forces of the enemy, a gesture that was replicated by the other dragon riders who waved our pikes with imperial banners. With a gesture of my arms, I commanded the wyverns to indicate enemies and allies, the soldiers on the ships began to do the same, as blue flares quickly began to shine on some of the ships while yellow flares were fired towards the enemy formations that were fleeing for their lives.

The meeting came to my mind, the possibility that we were in SaS for real...

My men looked at me waiting for orders, with doubtful hands, I took out a red flare and lit it, indicating that they should not attack. After all, it was only infantry and they didn't seem to have banners, so the fire of a single dragon could be devastating, possibly being able to engulf an entire company of men.

My squadron flew in circles around the battlefield, intimidating enemies and inspiring allies who continued their rain of arrows and bullets at the enemy until they completely retreated. From the heights I could see how there were multiple corpses and arrows filling the battlefield with some wounded still crawling...

The sight that would once fill me with pride now made me nauseous

Fuck…

Landing, I carefully dismounted my beast and began walking towards the fleet, the dragon following close behind. The corpses were mostly wearing Roman armor, or at least similar to the armor of the Roman legions, but I could also see corpses with oriental-looking armor, some were armor of vaguely samurai design, others were similar to Chinese armor from different dynasties, finally there were Celtic Amazon women, with their bodies practically naked and covered in multiple paintings... Eh?

These were the imperial guilds, or imperial allies of the western isles, where melee was very prominent, but the Celts were not our enemies?

Men and women came out of their hiding places shouting jubilantly, I could also hear my mount grunt momentarily, but with a hiss I appeased it. The troops gathered around us as we marched, a dragon knight stood beside me with his pike on his shoulder with the imperial banner fluttering in the wind on it.

A small group approached us, flags flying behind them. Their armor and races could not be more different from us, they also wore oriental armor or almost nothing, and of the 5 present, only two were a human, and an Amazon was stretching the definition of human.

The truth is, I was surprised to see the Celts being "allied" with the other imperials and imperial allies since these were always our enemies during the conquests of the west.

- More imperials! - One of the samurai exclaimed, his armor was red with white paint indicating his house. Most samurai clans were part of the empire, while the rest of the eastern ones were simply our allies - we thought we were the only ones! - The samurai exclaimed, his face hidden under his helmet and red tengu mask, but from his voice I knew he was a man.

- Greetings! I am Pirwoon, warlord, we were looking for food when we found you - I said while I took off my helmet, a gesture repeated by the other leaders - I am surprised that they are also here - I said while looking at the Celtic leader. Technically they were not "Celts," but their clan name was so absurdly difficult to pronounce that everyone called them Celts.

- We were fighting when the world turned upside down and those people attacked us, I am Sofila, headmaster of Claidheamh Dubh - The tall redhead said with a smile. She was equipped only with a brass helmet, simple sandals, and fur "pants." The rest of his body was covered in blue paints that pulsed slightly from under a showe of blood, for weapons she only had a spear, a large oval shield, and a falcata sword which hung from her waist. They really didn't leave anything to the imagination, and she wasn't the only one, since around me there were multiple more like this, some more clothed, others even less - The enemy of my enemy is my friend, I guess - She shrugged her shoulders.

I felt small surrounded by giants...

- Are there more people who have been isekai'd? - An allied leader asked, his blue skin, sharp teeth and eyes revealing him to be an ogre. These had many names, such as oni or demon because of their appearance, but these were not really demons but ogres - My name is Chìyún, from Lóngwěi -

- So you already know... - I sighed, it was difficult not to realize the truth - The empire has appeared in a lake upstream, it is enormous so much that almost the entire empire can fit - The ground shook when my dragon lay down next to me, making me feel even smaller than I was - Do you know who they are? - I asked while looking at one of the corpses with strange armor

- No idea. They speak a strange language and they attacked us as soon as they saw us all alike - The samurai leader said, this was a man armed with red armor and red cloth decorated with white paints. For weapons, the man carried a naginata in addition to katanas and the small katanas that the samurai carried, I don't know what they are called - Aokusa, leader of Tetsuba - He introduced himself pointing to the symbol he wore on his chest

- The fuck you mean that they talk a strange language? - I asked while I took off my leather gauntlets... it was really hot under all this armor...

- As you heard, a handful of soldiers came, said something that sounded Italian, charged at us and we were forced to join sides temporarily... We have been fighting for almost two days, we thought this was our end, hahaha! - The Aokusa responded with a laugh at the end - The bastards don't even know how to use banners - He said while pointing to a stick with a golden eagle on it that was on the ground next to a man with the head of a wolf on his helmet, the surprising thing was that the obvious banner did not have any flag - They completely ate every wave of tanegashimas! Not to mention the celt slingshots -

The tanegashimas were basically arquebuses, weapons that in the central islands had been left behind technologically, but because the western islands always had rain, the guilds here did not have to really update their weapons because the only situations in which they could use them was indoors since they used a fuse to light the gunpowder.

The slings, meanwhile, were simple ropes that allowed stones to be thrown at high speeds. Despite their simplicity, they were terribly effective if used by minimally capable people, let alone someone who was really good at using the slingshot.

Another big difference between the islands was that while in the central islands the armies or groups used high standards and banners to cast and protect entire units, in the western islands they preferred personal standards, or as the Celts did, seals on their armor or skin, this was due to the unstable terrain that prevented large battles, so all armies preferred guerrilla warfare and skirmishes rather than frontal combats, the same reason why the empire itself He was never able to conquer these areas and was forced to ally himself with the people here

- Can you repair the fleet? The empire needs all the available ships - I asked. I didn't know much about ships, but although practically all of them were stranded, not all of them were that damaged.

- Does it float? With luck ten ships leave from here - Chìyún responded

- Well, but we really need supplies. The imperial reserves will last so long, we need food urgently so we need boats to fish - I said with a bit of desperation in my voice. His mission was to find human food by any means necessary.

- How bad are you? - Chìyún asked, to which my gaze turned obscuration momentarily

- At least 11,000 dead, and rising by the minute - Silence fell - Farms destroyed, crop fields wiped out... the only reason there is no famine currently is thanks to the imperial warehouses... but that will end soon - Throughout the empire, gold doubloons were the currency, but exchanges between other groups were usually done with food, the longer the food lasted, the more value it had, and because of how large the empire was, many Merchants preferred to pay a food fee to pass through the calmer imperial waters than the free waters.

- You know... this army has to have come from somewhere... - Chìyún suggested

- Aren't you suggesting what I believe...? - I mumbled

- They attacked us first, they owe us compensation! - He raised his voice

- You are barely 200 people... And from what I see, the ground is covered with their corpses and I remember the massive number of forces that fled... How did you even defend this?! -

- They kept coming in tight turtle formations to avoid the Celtic slings... We have two cannons and a lot of chain-shot in our only functional ship. The tanegashimas also helped a lot - Aokusa indicated, explaining why several of the corpses were cut in half, or with missing legs.

- They do not have functional banners, nor do they have firearms or air support - Aokusa added - It is simply threatening them a little and making them spill the beans -

- … - I frowned… If they really attacked first… Was it justified to attack them back? What if they...? No, I can't doubt - SQUAD! - I shouted, a few seconds later the wyvern and dragon riders arrived next to me - Prepare the beasts for combat! - I ordered, many people shouted joyfully at my words... Did they not really understand that people were going to die? - Ana, Ivanov, I want eyes in the sky, follow the fleeing army, use camouflage blessings, I don't want them to see you, turn back if they reach any city or camp - Both wyvern riders nodded before returning to their mounts - And you, prepare the troops. Lady... - I turned to the Celt who nodded - Sofila, you and I have to talk -

Grasslands of the rabbit warriors

2 days after the Cataclysm
(22:17 / 10:17 PM)

Pirwoon, warlord of the 7th Air Regiment

The sun threatened to disappear behind the horizon, but that didn't stop us from marching deeper into unknown territory. Currently I was lying on the back of my beast which was walking calmly on the plains, some troops were hidden under its shadow, walking carefully so as not to be accidentally crushed by the heavy legs of the beast.

"Like the reflection in the water,

like the echo in the mountain,

May this form become an illusion,

that the eyes see, but do not understand,

May the mind seek, but not find.

Nothing remains, everything dissolves.

Thus, I disappear."

I heard over and over again from the standard bearers who were using a blessing to hide us. From a distance we would be seen as a blurry spot, similar to as if there were a great degree of heat, but if you looked closely you would realize that the "heat wave" was stupidly large.

We weren't really expecting to stay hidden for long, just scare them into giving up. I couldn't see them, but I knew there was another dragon next to us with a handful of infantry under it.

It was strange to work with infantry, the vast majority of the imperial army, and almost all guilds in general, were cavalry of different kinds, since all, or almost all of us, knew how to ride a horse thanks to other games, all of us knew how to fight on horseback. In the central and eastern islands they practically fought only with cavalry of different classes and artillery, the only reason why horseless infantry was used was for sieges, or to protect, since a good infantry unit could stop entire armies if they were well entrenched.

In the west though? The thick vegetation and dangerous terrain incredibly limits the cavalry's ability to move, so again infantry is more common.

Using my rifle scope, I surveyed the enemy fort

The fort was simple, being square with a sloping, spiked moat between the wooden walls and the exterior, low towers with multiple sentinels guarding its surroundings with no knowledge of the approaching force.

What would they have? 500 men? 600? Meanwhile, we with a measly force of barely 100 soldiers from different guilds because the rest were in the fleet to protect it, with different strategies, different equipment... Damn, we shouldn't... People will die! I don't even have wyverns by my side!

Why am I the leader again?

Oh yes, I volunteered...

Clenching my gloves which responded with a satisfying crunch, I put on my helmet and raised the visor to see more clearly in the dark.

From a bag I took out a flare cannon, this one was the size of a carbine and was capable of firing flares to mark targets. Loading the flare, I drew my saber, a useless weapon on a dragon, but it worked to symbolize my officer status.

The tension was palpable, and I could even hear the ensign falter in his words.

I stood on the saddle with reins in my saber hand temporarily, aimed the single-use cannon and fired at the door. illuminating it with an almost blinding green glow, I instantly released the barrel and grabbed the reins with my left so I could point my saber at the fort. The flag bearer finished the blessing, and we were immediately visible to the sentries.

- MATTA EMPEROR! - I screamed at the top of my lungs as I lowered the visor again with a shake of my head. Night immediately turned to day when my beast spat its terrifying breath towards the sentry towers where some men were still raising the alarm, the fiery breath of a dragon was more similar to one shooting diesel or napalm into flames than to a "breath", so the flames impregnated the walls with effective viscose. Their screams reached my ears, but they were drowned out by the second dragon appearing out of nowhere to hit the door of the fort under the war cry of "Matta emperor!"

My beast quickly advanced, poking its body and head over the low walls, its illuminated mouth threatening to leave another wave of greasy fire.

The soldiers inside the fort froze for a moment, but surprising professionalism made them begin to move quickly despite the presence of the fire-breathing lizard pointing its natural weapons at them.

Blowing the whistle, the few infantry at my disposal began to move. Taking out another flare cannon, I aimed it at the opposite wall before firing a green flare, the wall which was instantly covered in flames forcing the defenders to jump or be consumed by them.

Sitting back down, I used the reins to guide the dragon over the wall. Drawing my carbine, I aimed, not at the obvious officer who was trying to line up the half-equipped enemy, but at the man next to him. My bullet and cannon were rifled, so I landed the hit on the man with ease.

- MATTA EMPERADOR - I heard the other rider scream. Using my reins, I ordered the beast to attack at will, something it did almost instantly.

Spears were thrown at me and my dragon with lethal precision, but our heavy armor deflected the blows but not before knocking the air out of my chest and leaving me hanging by the three life ropes that every rider uses to avoid being thrown from his mount.

With difficulty, I climbed back onto the back of my beast so I could sit down again.

At that time, the two dragons event without spitting fire were annihilating all resistance, leaving little for the infantry, this was due to the absence of firearms capable of piercing our armor.

Suddenly, I could see how my beast grabbed a man with its jaws, who was unfortunately too close for its liking, it sadistically threw him into the air before catching it like a toy to swallow him alive and screaming

Could feel and see as the lump that passed between my legs, disappeared into the torso of my beast to never be seen again.

Yeah no, fuck this.

Raising the whistle to my lips, I blew it with all my might stopping the attack. With trembling hands, I removed my safety harnesses and stood up.

- SURRENDER, OR YOU WILL BE ANNIHILATED - I shouted with all the confidence I could muster.

The defenders instantly noticed how the attack had stopped a few moments after it began, but seeing me on the dragon's back, and another similar one not far from them, seemed to be what finally broke the camel's back, as men began to throw their weapons to the ground.

- Bind those who surrender, kill the rest! - The other rider shouted to the infantry - If you don't have ropes, separate them and let them lie down outside the fort! -

- Remove the tents near the walls! Don't let them burn! - I ordered when I heard the creaking of the wood from the wall beside me...

…

Fucking hell…