6. Chapter 6(1)

Chapter 6

Adversity

April 14th, 1964

8:00 AM

The smoke would have obstructed her vision if she wasn't on the opposite side of the river.

And even that would not have been enough to silence the terror happening only a stone's throw away. Children, some only brought into the world recently, cried for their mothers for an instant before the cries were snuffed out, surpassed only by the impossibly loud wails of their mothers.

Tyuule's eyes were unblinking as the imperial troops razed the village to the ground. Some parts of it already on fire, lit by the attacking Imperial soldiers; the destroyed bridge blocking her troops from reinforcing the few warriors on the other side, but even then Tyuule saw how pointless it would have been.

The Imperial soldiers were composed of heavy infantry and large monsters like orcs and ogres, making it near impossible for any of her troops to really manage a mortal strike unless they aimed for weaker areas, and even then, the formation of most of the troops not ravaging the village made it clear the soldiers would not give her troops the chance. Standing shoulder to shoulder, powerful shields lifted in front of them, short swords at the ready... anyone that got close would become mincemeat in an instant regardless if they were trying to run or fight.

It was a massacre.

Her mind raced, trying desperately to figure out a strategy, a countermeasure, anything that could be used to help, but not only was the village lost the many trails of smoke on the horizon made it clear the same was happening all over the border towns between her kingdom and the ever-expanding empire.

Off in the distance, she very briefly saw the man in a purple cape as several soldiers dragged a wounded warrior to him.

She saw him bury a blade in the girl's neck and appear to laugh.

The young queen swallowed and opened her mouth to try to say something.

Whether it would have been an order to fight or an order to retreat would never be known.

A guard grabbed her hand, tightly.

"Majesty, this way." came the calm, almost unnatural command.

"B-but-"

"The troops will hold the invaders at the river. There is no reason for you to risk yourself here. Come."

Her guard pulled her away and she was unable to do or say anything.

The screams followed her, creeping softly into her ears as she was led away even a hundred leagues away.

Her crimson eyes snapped open then, and she stared at the empty bed.

Rubbing her eyes, she stood up, her back aching.

She froze, sensing a presence.

The large door opened and in walked the tall figure of Marcus.

"Clothes, madame." the bald man sighed.

He handed her the "uniform" Zorzal would have her wear, clean, and sown after the previous night's "use".

She took it, not saying anything.

Marcus on the other hand said, "So, he's dead..."

Tyuule did not reply, not caring for the man speaking to her in such a tone, getting dressed slowly, wincing as the fabric moved over her new bruises, a particularly noticeable one on her neck.

He's worse when he's in a good mood...

"Hey, tell me something. Why are you loyal to him?"

She didn't reply, tying the vest to try and conceal as much of her chest as she could. It was technically going against its design, but she didn't care. All she wanted now was to regain some semblance of modesty.

Marcus said, "I plan to get off his majesty's hair, but I would rather know-"

Tyuule ignored him and strode out of the room before he finished talking, reveling in the man's admirable attempt at hiding his desperation.

It was almost comical to her.

It was obvious to everyone the crown prince poisoned his father and had successfully usurped the throne. But what could they do?

He wasn't pursuing anyone, and the support of military officers made him effectively untouchable.

And since the Americans were the ones to actually poison him...

She smirked slightly.

One step closer to vengeance.

Her smile faded as grieving cries echoed in the back of her head.

She walked on only to freeze in place as she passed a mirror on an expensive-looking piece of furniture.

She stared at herself.

Her hair was a mess, but given her "outfit" exposed her more than she would like, it was of greater concern. Remembering the promised meeting between her and the American, she wondered if she had a better choice for attire, one that wouldn't reveal so much to a member of the opposite sex.

The answer was an obvious but unfortunate "no".

Zorzal provided the clothes, and Zorzal wanted to make sure anyone looking at her knew who she belonged to.

Still...

"Worrying about your appearance?"

She didn't reply, having already sensed the presence of the shapeshifter.

He was hiding underneath the large furniture... somehow. Tyuule wasn't entirely sure how the creature could appear and disappear at will, let alone show up in places he shouldn't have been able to be in.

"What news do you bring, Bouro?" she asked, noticing that speaking hurt slightly.

He's worse when he's in a good mood...

With a low, gurgling laugh, the spymaster said "Word has reached the senators of the emperor's death and prince... Emperor Zorzal will give a speech to announce his ascension to the throne. Word has also begun to spread amongst the plebians that the emperor is sick, but given the current disorder in the city... well, it won't really spread much until the new emperor brings the news."

"Anything of actual importance?" she spoke quietly, very aware of the pair of guards walking down the hall.

Though they never seemed to notice her conversations with the creature... somehow.

"Perhaps of interest to you, I personally followed the assassins to one of the bases the Americans have set shop in."

"Alright, and?"

"Well, if you're so curious to-"

Tyuule quickly slammed her foot on the disgusting green hand that was reaching for her ankle, growling "Why is that important at all?! Are they not helping us?"

The hand retreated under the furniture, Bouro now speaking in a more cautious tone said "Apologies, majesty... but it is worth mentioning the assassins are still in the capital. Infighting has broken out between the other criminal families in the Red-Light district."

"I don't suppose you can do anything to alleviate such a situation?"

"The Americans are doing a fine job on their own..."

Tyuule didn't reply.

With an internal sigh, Bouro said "If I may be allowed to make a suggestion, majesty?"

She didn't reply.

"I suggest we kill the Americans... at least a few of them... make it look like the Emperor-"

"No."

"But, majesty, would that not bring more destruction much quicker?"

Tyuule quickly considered that proposition and just as quickly dismissed it.

"I don't want pure destruction, Bouro. I want the Empire to be utterly obliterated. Such a feat can best be accomplished with a plan, not without."

"...I see."

"Why are you suddenly as interested in quickly destroying the empire, Bouro?"

"I'm not, I'm just wondering what happened to that spirit of vengeance you seemed to have... It's as if you're interested in other things."

Tyuule allowed a cruel grin to manifest on her face.

"I can say the same about you. Now, how about you scurry along and get me some information on the number of legions readily available to his majesty? If we're going to begin making him feel like a victor, then we need to get started right away."

"Yes, your majesty..." came the clearly reluctant reply.

Alnus Hill

8:34 AM

Pina observed the American president as he smiled like an actor while taking a "photograph" with a feline woman and her family.

She saw the young leader shake the husband's hand, kiss the woman's hand, pat the little boy on the head, and politely continue his tour of the town being constructed near the American's main base of operations.

Like it was nothing.

Her impression of the man was cemented.

A man of the people...

She smiled in admiration, following after the man's security.

For the American President, there were multiple reasons for the photo-op.

The unfortunate necessity was that he needed to humanize the people on the other side of the gate for the American audience watching it all unfold on their television screens back home. Specifically, the now very debated status of "Demi-humans".

He kept smiling, hiding his worry of how ugly the discussion would get once he was back home and the news pieces had been aired.

Above them, a squadron of F-105 Thunderchief bombers roared as they sped past them and towards the mountains.

"Those jets have their targets, right?" he asked one of the officers.

"Yes, sir. The forts in the Dumas mountain range. Princess, over there was very helpful in identifying them after the spy planes took pictures of them earlier in the week."

"Hope they hit their targets..."

"They should, sir."

The president was extremely worried about the potential of an undetonated bomb being left behind.

America was going to win this war one way or the other, and he would prefer not to have to dedicate bomb squads to another world specifically to remove undetonated bombs years later like what was being seen in Europe.

This world was beautiful, and he would like to not destroy it further.

The Empire was, of course, the exception to that appreciation.

"So, princess?" he called.

"Y-yes?" the young girl responded without the need for a translator.

The president turned to his translator and said "Ask her about her other brother. The one with the devil sounding name."

The man nodded and turned to the princess.

"Your brother Diabo. Do you think he will help us?"

Pina said "I sent him a letter today. He will certainly help legitimize whatever rule comes next... maybe even convince Tiberius to cease his operations... assuming he sides with us."

Turn, translate.

The president said, "Then she expects to hear from him soon?"

Turn, translate.

"I... don't know... he had been visiting some relatives a fair way from the capital. The letter could reach him in a week if Norma is fast."

Turn, translate.

The president nodded.

It was unfortunate they couldn't just deliver the letter themselves, but they needed to focus on the enemy living in the nearby mountain range. Medieval weapons or not, they could become a serious problem going forward, so it was more important they handle it immediately.

If "Diabo" wished to cooperate, then he only needed to give them a location and a helicopter would pick him up.

But the man seemed distant, and that alone was concerning for the president.

Probably a schemer or a bum...

Nevertheless, an ally was an ally.

In the ever-immortalized words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt: "He may be a son of a bitch, but he's our son of a bitch."

Smiling at another family of demi-humans, the president waved and happily said "Salve!"

Pina noticed one of the American reporters snap what they called a "photograph" and pull back into a crowd.

She sighed, happy to have something to distract herself from the grim situation.

She knew her father was dead, that she had betrayed the empire, going against all it stood for, and it bothered her that it wasn't making her more upset, but...

It's done... nothing more can be done about it... I must push on.

Imperial Capital

9:00 AM

Zorzal stepped up to the balcony, the city's legions standing at strict attention just below, the city spreading beyond him.

He briefly passed his hand over his golden hair, very careful not to remove the laurel wreath sitting on his head as he gave a confident smile, one he knew no one could see. He would have to make sure it didn't come off in his voice, either, as he was, technically, a son in mourning.

It's for the best... now, the Empire will truly achieve glory across worlds, if not by territory then by status.

With that same, blind confidence in the future, he began his speech.

"Citizens of the Empire! My heart is with you all!" he shouted as loud as possible.

It wasn't necessary, as this was meant to be addressed to the Imperial Army, and the people's message would be delivered by street announcers.

But for the new emperor, subtlety was for the scholars.

He was all about grandeur and glory, the same as the empire he now ruled.

"My fellow soldiers... the losses we have endured have been some of the greatest in our unrivaled history! The idea that mere men can challenge our rule so is an insult to the very essence of this empire! The Empire!" he emphasized a singular description as if to declare there were no other legitimate empires but that which he now ruled.

"My father's passing shall be the last loss in this great war against the enemy from beyond the gate! This I guarantee!"

A few soldiers seemed to gain a look of hope at the statement.

"We shall crush them! Utterly and decisively! No more cowardice! No more fear!"

And like that, the hope vanished into thin air.

"We are the most powerful force in this world! I intend to rule it with strength and dignity! I promise you all, as I promise my citizens... the enemy shall not reach these gates!"

Miles away, down in the city streets, as several crowds gathered to try to catch a glimpse of the new emperor as he spoke from the balcony, one figure was stoically walking past everyone.

Dennis eyed the streets and had to admire the calmer atmosphere as the locals appeared more somber now that the news had broken for their beloved Emperor.

The guy who wanted to destroy everyone...

Still, he kept his gaze towards the floor, pretending to be submissive or grieving or whatever the soldiers everywhere felt was a show of respect.

A part of him wondered if the Imperial soldiers had more in common with him than he realized but quickly shot that idea down.

As he approached the market place things became livelier, albeit in a negative aspect.

"Please! Just one loaf of bread! My family-"

"Not if you don't have anything of value!"

"I have three silver-"

"You think that's worth anything right now?! One gold or no bread!"

A part of him felt sorry for the men fighting over food. They weren't to blame for the actions of their autocratic government at the end of the day. Molt Sol Augustus had not been elected by anyone other than his own father, and perhaps not even that if what Zorzal did was any indication of the Empire's history.

Another part of him resented them further with growing anger.

Revolt, you idiots!

Instead, the second a pair of soldiers in armor and swords approached the arguing band, the fighting died down.

Quickly.

The hungry remained hungry, the merchant made no sales...

He didn't react, continuing into the marketplace.

Dennis froze as something on the left side of the street caught his eye.

A dead body, very fresh, blood still red on the floor.

It had clearly belonged to a woman, her chestnut-colored hair covering her eyes as blood dripped down from her scalp.

She almost looked like she was sleeping.

Several pedestrians bumped into him, not pausing for a second, guarding the pockets in their tunics, ignoring the corpse in the middle of the street.

Dennis turned his gaze away from the corpse and pushed onwards, both committing the image to memory and pushing it away from his mind.

His eyes stared ahead, the bruise just below his right eye stung slightly as he forced himself to keep on like nothing was happening, trying to appear slightly normal in the crowd, at least for as long as he was in it.

Pretty soon, the pedestrians went their way as he continued down his own path, and the crowd dissipated the closer he got to his objective.

Reaching a nearly empty street, he heard the whistle and recognized the cloaked figure.

"Boy, they messed you up!"

Sean was now carrying an M3 "Grease gun", hidden under his cloak, and he appeared somewhat relaxed in contrast with the tense and bruised Dennis.

"Thanks." came the tired sigh, hiding the internal turmoil the only way soldiers could manage: not thinking about it.

Sean smiled back.

"Welcome! So... how goes it?"

Dennis only shrugged in response.

"Yeah... same here... you'd figure things would die down now but..."

An explosion rang in the distance, shaking the stone structures and garnering the attention of the few shopkeepers still around.

Dennis tried to ignore it, asking "Locals giving you guys trouble?"

"Not exactly, but... yeah."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, the locals are giving us trouble, but not entirely on purpose... least for the time... being... shoot! Get over here!"

Dennis didn't ask questions, moving into the tight alleyway, noticing that several shop owners, the few civilians out, stiffened in fear. Some were quicker than others, quickly running into open homes, or simply ducking under their small stands.

He then saw several armed men, tailed by large monstrous creatures that carried clubs and heavy axes.

One grabbed several pieces of cloth from a shop and the group turned around, not paying anyone any mind.

Dennis turned to Sean.

The Ranger said, "After we killed the heads of the Basara gang, there's been some infighting between the crime lords of the Red-Light District... things escalated last night and now there are armed criminals pretty much running the street, grabbing just about anything."

And anyone...

"Last night? Then... did the Beret's report anything?" Dennis asked.

"The Berets are hiding out with us... least a couple of 'em. Oh, you want to say hi to your bunny friends?"

"No."

"Too bad, cause we gotta move. Now!"

"W-? Don't you have the-?"

"And risk them getting snatched? You're crazy! Now come on!"

Dennis wasn't sure what his friend was nervous about until he saw several other men with knives suddenly charge the small section of the market, stabbing the remaining shop keeps and chasing those that ran, only for several men to hop from the top of buildings, blades in hand, meeting the attackers.

A bloody melee ensued in the street as swords, axes, and knives were swung every which way.

Both Americans turned around and ran deeper into the alley, Dennis gripping his M1911 as a head was thrown down the alleyway, dripping blood as it bounced like a basketball.

"Jesus Christ... they're doing our job for us..." Dennis breathed, trying to hide the impact the violence left on him, suppressing his dizziness by holding on to the alley wall.

"Yeah... come on."

He chased after the Ranger and they exited into an area with several burnt buildings.

Their hideout untouched in the middle.

Outside the entrance was Tom, manning the M60, Hastings pacing from one end to the other, M16 in one hand, a box of 7.62 ammunition in the other.

They saw them and waved.

"Hey, Orville! How goes it?"

Dennis looked around, sucked in a breath, and pretending to be perfectly fine said "Easier than here! What the hell happened?"

"Small skirmishes set this area on fire. Had to put it out the old-fashioned way." he sighed.

Ah... that explains why it looks like it blew up...

He walked ahead, Hastings asking "So what'd you need the books for?"

"The rabbit asked me to teach her English." Dennis sighed, rubbing his temple as the distant shouts continued to ring in the background.

He could appreciate a distraction from the situation.

...until Hasting's lips curled into a smug grin.

"Don't say-" Dennis started, not finishing before Hastings cut in.

"Don't say what? Don't say oh, silent Dan, that's a miscegenation case! Think of your kids! Or something along those lines?"

"I'm not interested in her."

Tom muttered "I'd hope not. She's used, isn't she?"

Sean turned and said, "Man, you know that doesn't matter!"

All eyes turned to Sean.

"Something on your mind, man?" Dennis asked.

Tom added "Yeah, what'd you mean it doesn't matter? You don't know what bugs she might carry and God only knows who might've used her before."

"That's... not what I meant... I just-" Sean muttered back.

"Not what he meant! Not what-? Oh, my God! You growing feelings for that winged lady! You got any ideas what bugs she might be carrying?" Tom said loudly.

"I-"

"Winged lady? What the hell is going on with you guys?! Nothing I read said anything about winged ladies!" Dennis half exclaimed.

"Oh, right... Misery. We mentioned her." Hastings said.

"The Sidewalk Sally? She has wings?"

"Used wings."

"Shut-"

"Can she fly?" he asked with an almost childlike look of wonder and perhaps a bit of genuine curiosity.

"No. And shut up, Tom... Animal people in the capital have it rough. I'm trying to be nice- do the American thing, you know, you Irish Fairy?"

The son of Scottish immigrants didn't look away from the machine gun's sights, expressing his anger through tone alone.

"The hell you callin' me a fairy for?!"

"I haven't seen you even look at any girls, which-"

"Didn't you see him at Itálica? He was drooling over the bunny girls." Dennis said, deadpanned.

"Like you?"

"Hastings, you do not get to-"

Tom interjected. "Look, I got a human girl waiting back home! Plus, the animal folk we're dealing with aren't the same as the ones in Itálica. They're sicker, more perverse. You see how they're fighting amongst each other! Women and children we've got to care for now are because of them!"

"Yeah, but they're human same as you and me!"

"Sean, you know damn well what I meant! I'm not denying they're people, I just don't think it's proper to be with any of the broads we're meeting!"

Dennis only rubbed his eyes, wincing at the pain on his left, before sighing "You fellas should have a debate show about this crap."

"Oh, but Orville's a pure man, not tempted by such vixens! You agree with me, right? It's at least not normal?" Tom called in an obviously mocking tone.

"Look man, I signed up thinking I'd be fighting commies only to wind up in another world shooting Romans and teaching a rabbit girl how to read, I don't think I'm in any position to say what's normal anymore."

"That's not what I meant."

"Well maybe try askin' when the poundin' in my head's gone."

"...probably hurts cause your mind's all conflicted about having a thing for Bugs Bunny. Which reminds me, how natural would it be to marry a demi-human?"

"James Hastings, I swear to-"

"Huius tu neque auctoritatem de murmurationis?!" Delilah yelled, head bursting out of the lower window of the American hideout, startling the Rangers. The girl was still in her "cook" uniform, her hair a mess, her eyes tired, as if she had only just woken up.

"Oh, what'd she say?" Tom groaned.

"Uh... she's asking what we're yelling about." Dennis sighed.

"Responsum!" she said, clearly irritated, glaring at Dennis who felt his eye twitch in irritation as he switched to the local tongue.

"We're talking about the nature of animal people. Your existence fascinates us."

Delilah blinked, now confused.

Hastings said "Hey, uh... if regular humans and demi-humans can have kids... then it's natural, right?"

"They can... why would it make it natural?"

"Come on, man. Horse and donkey can have a mule but a mule can't have baby mules, so it isn't natural. Can the kid of a guy and a bunny girl make more kids?"

"God, Hastings, I don't want to-"

"Why not?"

"Natural isn't the same as proper, you idiot!" Tom called back.

"If it's perfectly natural then there's no problem. End of discussion! If God didn't intend for it, then procreation shouldn't be possible."

Tom said, "Oh, a fine logic on this pervert..."

"Better than a fairy..." Sean muttered.

"You want to call the guy with an M60 a fairy, go ahead. Don't come cryin' to me when the damn Romans chase ya and that grandpa rifle."

"You guys have the books for me or not?"

Sean huffed, "Yeah, come on... used wings... bet his mother sees more use."

"Yeah, go ahead, leave the guy with the M60 alone with the cat man after saying that..."

Dennis heard Hastings go "meow-meow-meow" before what sounded like Tom hitting him with an ammo belt and a yelp that somehow sounded like a cat's cry.

He suppressed his snickers as Sean opened the door to their headquarters.

Both Rangers entered the building, Delilah's gaze following them.

Ammo boxes were on the floor, the place smelled of gunpowder and cleaning supplies, and there was the almost imperceptible sound of someone operating the radio upstairs.

Dennis noticed the place appeared more homely and welcoming.

Mamina placed some tea on the table and said "Glad to see you up and about, soldier Dennis."

Not in the mood to speak with the Warrior Bunnies but knowing basic manners, Dennis paused and muttered a quick "thanks" before continuing after Sean, the Ranger already grabbing the books and checking them to ensure they were in order, placing them on a decrepit table that looked like it may collapse on itself.

"Right, word books here, maps here, codebook here..."

"Hm?"

"Yeah, just in case we need to call in a strike... honestly, consider every map in this booklet the things went to hell folder. The question is getting this inside."

"I have a bag here, and Tyuule has some control over the guards, so even if they see them, they won't say anything."

"Huh, our leporine friend is already paying off then."

"Leporine?"

"That's an adjective for hare."

"But she's a rabbit."

"Difference?"

"One's bigger, one's smaller! Didn't you go to school?"

"What's-? Do these rabbits look small to you?"

"Well, they're a bit shorter than us and the Latin word they use is egestas, which I understood means bunny."

"Huh...well, that's one way to look at it."

"Quid est?" Mamina came into the room.

Sean waved her away, apologizing.

"Anyway, she's got some control over things?"

"Guess so. That chef guy who gave me this black eye? She got two of these guards, biggest guy's I've seen here yet, talked to down to him like nobody's business!"

"Far out..."

"Yeah, so long as she's on our side, I think I'll be okay... so long as I don't act all suspicious, which... not entirely easy, but I didn't sign up for the easy jobs." Dennis sighed, grabbing the books and taking the leather bag out of his pocket, stuffing them inside.

"You plan on heading back now?"

"I'll report to the captain first."

"Maybe you should hang around here a bit."

"You're all wearing pants, I'm wearing a skirt, that there's a power gap I'm not willing to tolerate."

Sean whispered "Come on, man, take a load off. You literally look beat. Not like you're doing anything else today."

The sharpshooter patted the 18-year-old on the back and walked on.

Dennis felt his lip form a fine line but said nothing as he walked back to the entrance and took a seat.

He shut his eyes, knowing full well the rabbits were studying him.

"City chaos is probably gonna be a bit of a problem on your return trip. Better stay here for a bit." Mamina finally said.

"Not complaining..." he said, eyes still closed.

He didn't keep them closed long.

"Hey, soldier Dennis?"

Delilah...

"What?" he groaned.

"Did Tyuule pull some strings to keep you alive?"

Her again?

"No, actually. August just gave me a beating and sent me to my room. Guy's not that tough."

"Do they not suspect you?"

"Yeah, but Tyuule and the Haryo Tribe are keeping an eye out. Since you girls left no evidence, they can't really do anything without causing trouble for themselves and when August tried to implicate me, she got a couple of guards who basically made him leave me alone. Trust me, your queen is proving her worth."

Mamina sighed.

"To think I would ever be working with such a snake." Delilah groaned.

Dennis didn't bother replying.

Sean asked, "What are they saying about snakes?"

"Their queen, man. They hate her with a passion."

"Ah..."

The chestnut-haired girl added, "You don't believe me, do you?"

"Not really."

"She's a snake. I know it. She knows it... don't trust her. Not after everything that's happened."

Dennis didn't reply, something that seemed to frustrate the Bunny girl, but she didn't get the chance to say much more.

"Hey, Den, you got a second?" Hastings asked sheepishly through the open window.

"What is it?"

Hastings glanced at Delilah as if to silently urge the woman.

The chestnut-haired assassin sighed and said "Right... Persia asked us to send him this letter."

Dennis looked at the small scroll and said "Alright. And?"

"Can you... translate it?"

Dennis stared at him with an unreadable expression.

It was somewhere between "annoyed" and "disappointed" while at the same time seemingly "glad".

"Alright, pervert, let's see what your girlfriend sent you..." he sighed, grabbing the parchment and looking it over.

He thought about messing with the guy, telling him the girl had broken up with him in favor of a more capable man, but reading it...

Must be nice having someone waiting back home...

"Says she misses and worries about you. Kinda sweet stuff, actually."

He spoke after reading it over to make sure he hadn't gotten anything wrong.

"Seriously?"

"Man, you can grab one of these books and look it over yourself, I ain't gonna baby you!"

"Den, you gotta help me write her back."

"That I can't do."

"Can't?"

"Okay, won't! I don't want to listen to your romantic musings, pal."

Romantic?

With a sigh, Hastings turned to Delilah and in a very broken Latin awkwardly said "Can you deliver?"

"Huh?"

"He's asking if you can deliver his love letter to Persia."

"Oh... well, I'd rather not- OW-OW-OW!"

Mamina pulled at the girl's ear and said "Tell him we'd gladly deliver it. Persia is a good friend after all."

Dennis turned to Hastings.

"Did you get that?" he asked.

"Uh... yeah." came the uncertain reply.

Such was the strange combination of two worlds.

Dumas Mountain Range

"You see anything?"

"No. Damn these invaders... they can blend in with the forest."

"Then we'll have to match them. Keep moving."

The legions of the empire were not a badly trained or maintained force. They were some of the best trained, best equipped, and well-disciplined forces in the world.

The problem was that they were at a technological disadvantage that they simply couldn't hope to match.

Not without adapting in some ways...

General Tiberius pushed the men ahead in the forests of the mountain.

All of the men carried bows and crossbows.

There was a whistle and the men immediately crouched.

"Down, you fool!" a man behind a bush hissed.

Doing as told, Tiberius crawled forward, asking "What do you see?"

"General! I... the enemy is positioned up ahead." the man nervously replied, his disrespect not being his end simply because he had saved his general's life.

"Where do you see them?"

"You can only see them if they move, sir. They haven't pushed up yet, and we haven't pushed down."

Tiberius contained a sigh.

"Alright... stay here and alert us if they push up."

"Yes, sir."

Tiberius crawled back and met up with his men.

"Come. I've seen what I had to."

…

"It appears they intend to cut off our supply route." Tiberius sighed.

One of his officers said, "A sound decision... not that we have them."

"Yes, this was expected... it's still not ideal."

The general and his men observed the map on the table, lit only by candlelight as the cave was black as night despite it still being early in the morning.

"We'll have to focus on eating off the land. Those metal birds are... a problem. Were we able to get the dragon nests moved to the nearby caves?"

The leader of the Brigands only groaned.

"What is it, Pullo?"

"I sent men, but they haven't returned... I fear they may have deserted."

Another officer chuckled.

Tiberius only said, "They're an acceptable loss as long as they informed the fliers."

"The ones in the eastern edge moved their wyverns into the caves." another officer replied.

A fourth officer said "The ones in the western edges are currently moving theirs. They have more, so it may still be going on."

Above them, several metal birds screeched and roared as they flew by.

Tiberius growled "What are they doing now? Have they ever flown in that direction?"

An officer said, "No, they... that's south, is it not?"

The leader of the Brigands only said "No, that's west... I hope your fliers got underground in time."

The officer sighed, disappointed.

Tiberius quickly said "Alright, we'll cut our losses and assume we only have a dozen riders left... last night's spies were able to get quite close to an enemy encampment and they reported that the men are digging holes and trenches to sleep in them. If men could sneak into their camps, we may be able to slaughter a few at night."

The leader of the Brigands said, "I don't like the way... but if it kills them..."

"Pullo, you have several thieves amongst your ranks. Could they pretend to be civilians to get close and see if they can grab some of their weapons?"

"Possibly. Why?"

"These weapons that spit fire and death... they make the battlefield uneven. If we can get our hands on a few we might just be able to understand how they work. Maybe use them to our advantage... a road to pursue, at least."

It was unlikely, but worth a try given the circumstances.

"What about slowing them down? If they keep pushing like this, they'll reach the capital by tonight."

Tiberius said "We can only hope Emperor Molt was able to carry out his part of the plan. The senate may have tried to slow him down, but I believe he would have acted by now... if not, then the messenger I sent last night should shake things up enough."

Assuming he's alive.

"Speaking of slowing them down... I have several ideas on how we can achieve it should they try to push up the mountain."

"Yes, Pullo?"

"Traps."

"Traps?"

"Holes with sharp sticks covering the floor, cover them with leaves, hunting traps, but bigger... we can't defeat them straight on, which means if we want to fight them, we'll have to do so in a far less conventional sense."

Tiberius smiled.

"I take it your time as a Brigand left a positive impact after all, eh?"

"I intend to win, general. They do not fight in a just matter, why should we?"

The generals nodded.

Despite the groud briefly shaking from the attacking aircraft, their smiles did not fade.

"I see no reason to disagree."

…

Yao Ro Dushi ate her breakfast near a stream in the mountains.

The water in the Dumas Mountain Range was pure, and the land was quite traversable. Unlike the Mountain Range of Ice and Snow or some of the harsher Tuba mountains in the Kingdom of Elbe.

Unfortunately for her, that meant sneaking through was a touch more difficult to do, a side effect of the more unfortunate situation the Allied Kingdoms had found themselves in.

Yao, the situation is desperate. If we don't get help soon...

But how is she to go now? The Allied Armies are mostly fragmented, and many deserters have hidden in the mountains and valleys.

She'll go around! If she travels now, she can reach the Hill of Alnus in two weeks! We can only hope that Monster hasn't healed in that time...

And two weeks it would likely take.

She'd had to cross the Roma River, and she would stick to the edges of the mountains, sneaking on the tall grass and brush.

Of course, something her tribe hadn't planned for was the fact that the Empire's armies were also hiding in the mountains.

This was, of course, a blessing and a curse.

On the one hand, it made her task all the harder as it seemed the Empire was slaughtering all non-citizens as the scorched villages and cadavers of demi-humans demonstrated.

On the other hand, it seemed like the task of locating the men from the other world with wondrous weapons that had wounded the Flame Dragon and crushed the Imperial and Allied armies.

As she drank from the stream, she was startled by the screeching metal birds these strange men used.

Looking up, she just barely caught the glimpse of the aircraft.

She stood and stared.

I must be getting close...

A thousand feet above her, flying well over Mach 2, the F-105 Thunderchief jets were racing over the mountains.

Technology had advanced plenty in the previous decade, and the U2 Spy Plane was one of the many fruits of such a boom in military innovation. It was capable of flying high in the atmosphere and take pictures of the ground.

It was these planes that had found the intermediate-range ballistic missiles in Cuba.

And it had been planned that a bombing of the missile sites would be carried out... something that had been promptly canceled after some fuss about possible Soviet retaliation and the threat of nuclear war.

The U2s had now discovered something not as deadly as nuclear missiles, but still a threat to troops on the ground.

And now, the F-105s were tasked with eliminating that threat.

Yao didn't see the bombs get dropped, but she did hear them and faintly felt the shockwave of the 750-pound demolition bombs all hitting their target at once.

She then shuddered to imagine the exact desires of these men from another world. Were they just magic or were the rumors true that these men from another world brought machines of war so powerful they could route the Imperial Army and the combined Allied Armies in a few hours of combat? Born of war and situations too awful to imagine?

She stood and kept walking, pondering what such a power wanted with a world that could barely bring up a challenge.

What exactly was their aim here? Resources? Slaves?

She shuddered at the possibility that it could be a far more oppressive force than the current Empire but pushed it aside.

She had a mission.

As she pushed onward, she heard the faint sound of the flying machines high above her once more.

More importantly, would they help her clan?

Up in the air, it was a different feeling.

Shaun checked the M16 and shuddered.

Dom loudly talked over the engines of the Huey, saying "Air Recon has discovered remnants of a camp moving along this line, suggesting there could be enemy forces in this area! If they're pushing to flank our main base then we have to stop them here and now. Weapons are free, shoot first, ask second! We're in Indian territory, boys!"

As he said this, the M60s on the helicopter's sides lit up like it was the 4th of July.

Shaun braced himself for the landing.

"Got one on the right side!" a gunner yelled.

"Light 'em up, Jimmy!"

Down in the forest, Yao barely had time to duck out of the way as the thunderous machines began to spit fire into the forest.

She crouched behind a tree, only to drop flat on her chest as one of the projectiles the metal birds tore through the sapling with ease.

The roar of the weapons these men from another world use was certainly frightening, but to her, she was more relieved that she had found them.

Now... all she had to do was survive.

Something exploded nearby and she stammered a prayer of protection.

The squadron of 7th Cavalry Hueys landed right by the trees, in an open patch of grass, where the men promptly hopped out of and pointed their rifles at the forest nearby, M60s still firing at seemingly nothing.

Shaun sighed as nothing was heard once the helicopters went up into the air and began circling.

Huh... consider the LZ prepped.

Their colonel stood up and looked into the thick forest as other officers took positions nearby.

Dom said, "I kinda wish that reaper girl was around... she'd probably clear this place in a second."

"Well, el-tee, looks like our guns may have done our work for us... you see anything?"

As the order was giving to push into the forest, Dom only said "Not really, come on."

Yao risked looking from her hiding spot, noticing the tree had fallen over.

There they were.

"Men in green..."

She quickly stood up and raised her hands.

"Men in green! Over here! Over-"

She sensed it before she heard them.

A pair of ogres, relatively young ones at that, advancing through the forest, large clubs in hand and several men with bows leading them.

A few meters away, the men from another world had reached her small campsite.

"Well, someone was here, lieutenant."

Dominique said "Shaun, see if anyone answers you. Maybe we can get them to surrender and not have to waste the bullets. Johnny, get on the radio, tell the colonel what we have up here."

"Got it."

Shaun took a step forward, looked into the forest, and called "Is anyone there? If you surrender now, we will not harm you!"

Yao took a breath, wondering if the men had seen her or not and if it was worth exposing herself for.

The men were hiding, as were the ogres, implying these men feared the ones further below.

She heard the man below calling, asking if anyone was around, took a deep breath and called back "Yes! Over here!"

She gauged the reaction of the men with bows, who had apparently not seen her.

"Come up with your hands raised, please." the man called.

She nervously stood, trying to ignore the growling of one of the ogres, and walked away from the tree, moving down the incline.

She froze as she saw the man who spoke her language.

Another dark elf?

Shaun frowned.

"El tee, you see her, too?"

Dom froze and with a look of absolute disbelief said "What the hell is she? A black... platinum... blonde?"

She moved quickly, but cautiously.

"Alright, be careful... uh... I don't trust this situation."

"Got it."

Shaun switched to the local tongue and said "Are you alone?"

At this the girl looked behind her, saying "There were some men up there, but they're not with me, I swear!"

He turned to Dom and said "She says there are some guys up there. Not associates of her, though..."

"Alright... call them down."

"You men back there! Surrender and you won't be harmed!"

Yao glanced behind her, wondering if there would be results.

To her surprise, the men lowered their weapons and walked out of the brush, arms raised in surrender.

Dom grinned.

"Alright, Johnny! Tell the coronel we caught ourselves a couple of fish! Thomas! Reilly! Go round 'em up!"

"What about the lady?"

"Uh... ask her what she's doing in this neck of the woods?"

Shaun shrugged, noticing the woman was by no means a civilian.

She had a blade of sorts, and her clothes appeared... vaguely warrior-like.

Huh... kind of like what Wonder Woman would wear if she favored black over blue...

At least, he didn't know any civilians that wore clothes like that, even in this world, but that Reaper girl wore nothing as he had ever seen in his life and she was technically a civilian.

"Ma'am, might I ask what you're doing here?"

So polite!

"Um... I'm actually on my way to talk to your commanders... my name is Yao Ro Dushi, I'm from a dark elf clan in the mountains south of here... they sent me to seek help from the men who wounded the great flame dragon, and... apologies, but I'm curious... what tribe are you from?"

"Tribe?"

"Are you not a dark elf?"

Shaun's mouth fell agape at the question.

He scratched the side of his head and said "Err... I'm not an elf... and I don't know if we can take you to our commanders... my colonel is here, though, and I can ask if you can talk to him."

"I... I see! Thank you! I would appreciate it!" she said nervously.

Dom turned to Shaun and said, "She alright?"

"Said she thought I was some kind of dark elf... guess there are no black folks in these parts either. Anyway, she wants to talk to our commanders... I think her people need help and she was on her way to Alnus."

"So she's some kind of emissary?"

"Seems like it. Says her tribe sent her."

"Right, Johnny, tell the colonel a possible representative wants to talk to him!"

"Got it!"

Imperial Capital

11:01 AM

Zorzal yawned as the senators argued over what to do next.

Truly, chickens without their head...

He glanced towards Tyuule who wasn't bothering with writing down all the ramblings as the senators squabbled over the fate of the empire, what to do now, whether to reconvene after the period of mourning or not, among other useless topics.

His lascivious smile was noted by some but called out by none.

Tyuule's "uniform" was certainly a work of art in his mind. Exposed just enough skin to let everyone know she was his slave but hid just enough to be tempting to any man, himself included. Even now he was having a difficult time keeping his hands off his hard-earned price.

His hand almost unconsciously drifted towards her smooth leg.

Tyuule was considering standing up with some excuse but wasn't sure what to say when Hamilton slammed the door open and Senator Casel quickly entered the room.

It was Senator Dussie who sighed, and loudly said "All accounted for! This meeting will now come to order!"

Zorzal's smile vanished.

Damn it all...

He sighed, his hand moving back towards his side as he stood and said "My senators, I, of course, wish to hold the time of grieving properly, but we must first reverse some of my father's... more unintuitive policies... we are not going to set fire to the capital or the rest of the Empire, nor are we to pursue a cowardly... unconventional war."

A few senators clapped, happy to still have their riches preserved and their lives spared.

Tyuule maintained her focus on writing the new emperor's words.

Zorzal said "I await word on Tiberius. I believe we're all curious of the enemy's position, though I will say that I am certainly confident they haven't moved out of Itálica... at least, to do nothing more than scout ahead if anything."

Casel stood.

"Yes, senator?"

"If I may, I think we have been in the dark long enough... perhaps we should accept or... invite these men from another world to some kind of talks. They sought it out, did they not? Perhaps we could indulge them and find out what they wish to accomplish with this war?"

Zorzal scoffed.

"While I agree in theory, I believe we should wait a time, first. We don't want to come off as desperate now, do we?"

To Casel's disappointment, several senators nodded their heads in agreement.

Think for yourselves, you idiots!

"Then if I may ask, what is his majesty planning on doing next?"

Zorzal scoffed once more.

"Simple! We retake the streets, return law and order to our wonderful capital... in his haste and panic... and illness... father neglected to act! I shall not fall for such trappings! The legions will regain control of the city by tonight! Then, in perhaps... oh, a week, there's no rush unless proven otherwise... we shall send the enemy an offer to parlay." the emperor grinned confidently.

Casel nodded slowly, smiling slightly and saying "Thank you, emperor, that's-"

Zorzal's kind smile made Hamilton cringe.

"Oh, no need to thank me, just... just swear your loyalty to me, and question not my judgment. Despite what... some of you may think, I was my father's pick for a reason. I intend to show you all how great an emperor I can be!"

Tyuule closed her eyes to hide how positively insufferable she found the man's speech.

Hamilton on the other hand observed the fallen queen with some worry.

Yes, she was cooperating.

Yes, she had her reasons to cooperate; perfectly valid ones at that.

Yes, the Americans seemed more than happy to use her.

But the crimson eyes on the girl seemed to hide a madness that worried the young knight.

Her line of thought came to a crashing halt as Tyuule opened her eyes again and continued writing, seemingly pausing for a moment, considering things.

Following Tyuule's line of sight, she saw that the woman was looking at Senator Casel.

It was for a brief instant, but the eyes looked almost predatory.

Hamilton shuddered.

Zorzal on the other hand, blissfully unaware of the larger game around him, continued his rant about how great an emperor he could be.

"...filled with gold and jewels from all corners of this world! And for the few here concerned that negotiating could be seen as a sign of weakness I will tell you right away that I intend to make my position immensely clear to these... Americans! They shall leave our land and admit their defeat or they shall face a war to the death!"

Hamilton felt a shiver go down her spine at the tiny, almost imperceptible grin that manifested on Tyuule's face.

The fury in her red eyes, the calm anger with which she wrote.

The only reason she didn't show anything was pure military discipline.

...I hope princess Pina orders us to evacuate soon...

...

"So, let me get this straight... he gave you this beating because you insulted him to his face?!"

Dennis said, "Easy, doc if I didn't do it those two wouldn't have been able to poison emperor pain in the ass's drink."

The bunny girls sipping some tea only returned a confused look at the finger being pointed at them.

Joey "Doc" Arbury only returned a tired sigh, shutting off the small flashlight and placing it in his pocket. The stethoscope around his neck making his identity obvious even if the combat uniform had the red cross on his patch.

"Well thank your lucky stars you're not concussed. Not that I can tell at least."

"Told you, he mostly got me around the sides here, and none of it hurts too bad." Dennis sighed, pointing towards his torso.

"Well, we don't have an X-ray machine to check for anything broken... just try not to exert yourself and lie low."

"Okay, Doc."

Captain Rhodes had been standing in the corner of the room, observing the check-up.

Next to him was a taller man, older, tired from many experiences throughout more than one war.

He groaned, saying "Kids like that shouldn't be out here."

"He's one of the better speakers. Comes off natural."

"Still... damned politicians throwing our young into the grinder. Should have bombed them and be done with it."

Dennis turned to look at the much older Green Beret, not saying anything.

Delilah noticed the tension in the room and asked "What's the old guy's problem?"

"Hush." Dennis hissed at her.

Doc asked, "What'd she say?"

"Called the legend over there an old man."

"Ah."

"What is it?!" she demanded.

The old man only responded by stepping out of the room, muttering something about "checking on the brats."

Dennis quickly switched to the local tongue and said "That guy fought in the last World War back home! He's a legend!"

"World... War?"

"Yeah!"

Mamina sipped her tea, not revealing that the phrase worried her as well.

Last world war... as in there were multiple ones?

Dennis continued, saying "We don't really know where he served, but since the 10th takes people from all over the world, he may have served in other countries."

"Did he?"

"Don't know. Haven't talked to him."

As if on cue, the man walked back in.

"They're saying they spotted several legions moving out of the palace... something about getting law and order back into the city."

Rhodes sighed, saying "Ah, that's a shame... as long as those gangs were at each other we could have just let them destroy themselves."

Dennis stared at the man.

The man said nothing.

Dennis said nothing.

Delilah said, "Will you just ask him some questions already?"

"Shut up, rabbit."

"Rude American soldier..."

Rhodes couldn't entirely understand what the kid was saying, but he noticed the kid appeared to be enjoying himself.

Must get pretty lonely in that kitchen...

Dennis did turn to the old man and said "Sir?"

The older man didn't acknowledge, only raising an eyebrow as he grabbed something from his pocket.

"You fought in World War Two?"

"Yeah... why?"

Dennis shrugged awkwardly, saying "Curious, I suppose... Dad fought in Korea."

"Don't bother comparing wars, son. Knew a guy who knew a guy... World War One vet, fighting strong in World War Two... Guy asked him how it was... the vet said boy, that was somethin'! I think I'm done with fightin'. Can't attest to the anecdote being true or not."

Dennis nodded his head, frowning.

"Tell your boy to get off his ass and give the Doc some assistance with the injured, Captain. Kid's getting bored." the man sighed, slinging an M2 carbine over his shoulder and heading out.

"Yeah, come on, Den."

"Yes, captain!" Dennis said, quickly doing as told.

Delilah smirked, seeing the seemingly confident American crumble under a superior.

Turning to Mamina, the girl still sipping her seemingly never-ending supply of tea, she asked "When do we get to go back to Itálica?"

"At night. The Americans will pick us up the same way they dropped us off. Do try to pay attention to the briefings."

"I can't concentrate here... even with these men it's like we're a second away from getting our heads lobbed off." Delilah huffed.

"They've proven they don't harbor ill will towards us."

"Yeah, maybe not them, but I don't like how that guy with the black spectacles talked. Looked like a snake."

"Hmm... something to consider is if it would be worse under them or the thumb of the empire."

"That's true... but we've only known them for a little over two weeks."

"Well, Itálica still stands because of them... I feel like a bit of faith is appropriate at the moment."

"Yeah... I still worry about that Trent guy... something about him bothers me."

Alnus Hill

12:00 PM

Pina stared at the president as he rubbed his chin, a look of concern as they observed the girls in what the Americans called a "mess hall". One was blonde, sitting with a golden-haired young man, not looking at anyone. Another was a feathery young woman, drinking something more than likely alcoholic in nature, and the third was a blue-haired girl, quietly reading a book alongside an old man.

All were sitting at different tables.

The president turned to the man with aviators on and politely asked "I know my reputation with the secret service isn't entirely great, Trent, but if you wanted to pick interesting women, I would hope you had actually picked... well... women."

The CIA agent didn't react, saying "I've spoken with them already, sir. That girl with blue hair over there... she's the most promising."

Pina turned to the translator, not entirely understanding the conversation.

The translator only said, "We're looking into what your people call magic."

"Oh... I see."

It only makes sense. We would be looking into their firearms if we weren't losing so badly...

Trent said "However, all these girls have some potential. I think we can start with the oldest one... Miss Marceau?"

The president blinked as the blonde teenaged girl turned to look at them, nervously hiding behind the tall man next to her. The man with her, perhaps an older brother or guardian was all smiles as he waved them over.

The president couldn't help but notice the ears.

"Apologies, agent Colbert, she's still a bit shy, but is willing to demonstrate her skill."

The girl looked every which way except at the men at the table.

Trent slowly spoke.

"Miss Marceau, this is President Kennedy, the ruler of our nation, and-"

"Excuse me, Colbert... how old is this girl?"

"One hundred and sixty-five years, sir!" the girl snapped in decent English.

Pina found the president's ability to conceal his surprise admirable if anything.

It was a well-known fact that elves were for all intents and purposes immortal. The "young man" next to her was likely her father and was just as likely half the age of the empire. There was plenty of reason for the empire to wage war against them, as their knowledge could easily have threatened their holdings.

She frowned at the knowledge and wondered if she would be able to do anything to better the situation.

Trent said "She's still a teenager mentally, mister president. However, she's fairly skilled in regards to what some would call... magic. Marines rescued her and most of her village during the first reconnaissance operations carried out in our first week here. Their people are helping us get proper maps and lay of the land, and she's picked up English well enough. She gets asked the age question a fair bit."

"Well, that's... fascinating." the young president said, unsure of what else to say.

"You haven't seen anything yet, sir."

Switching to the native tongue, he said "Miss Marceau?"

Tuka nodded and lifted her hands, a dim glow emitting in their center.

One of the secret service agents swayed slightly, saying "I, uh... I feel kind of- oh, man-"

The second agent quickly grabbed him before the man fell over.

"You alright, Roy?"

The other agent said, "S-sleepy... yeah..."

"Huh... impressive." the president said.

"We're not entirely sure how she does this... get used to that line."

Switching back to the native tongue, "Thank you, Miss Marceau, Mister Marceau..."

The president was cordial and shook the man's hand, waving a hand in the girl's direction, not wanting to make her less comfortable.

Pina only awkwardly smiled and waved.

As the CIA agent led them to the other table, the president whispered something to the translator.

She gave the man a questioning glance, who quietly said "A word of advice, his words not mine, try to smile more."

She did her best to conceal her embarrassment, settling for staring at the floor.

Her father had died less than twenty-four hours ago and she was only waiting for any updates on her brother's new reign before making any final decisions about her next move.

Particularly, the Rose Knights still in the capital.

"Mister President, this young lady is named Myuute Luna Sires, she is what we would call a siren."

The feathered woman stood and vigorously shook the president's hand, saying "it is an honor to meet you, sir! I'm happy to serve your empire over the other!"

The president smiled awkwardly, not understanding her words, but noting they were (more than likely) well-intentioned.

Trent sighed, saying "She was captured when the Allied Armies tried to retreat. Don't know many details, but she's been extremely cooperative."

"Can I show him what I can do?" She asked quickly, excited.

Trent grabbed his aviators, placed them in their case, snapped it shut, and said "Observe."

He tossed the casing in the air, aiming for her head.

The girl closed her eyes, and a gust of air swirled around her, sending the case flying right back into Trent's hand.

Myuute grinned from ear to ear.

The president was about to ask when Trent said "Allegedly, she can manipulate the wind, sir. We've been testing her ability, and she has been able to stop arrows and even some bullets. The whole reason she survived our artillery was that she was able to repel the debris and flames that would have killed her."

"And... she's alright now?"

"She wasn't injured, and she's been working with our scientists. She's picking up English, albeit not as well as the other two. Still... very good!" he said, giving the girl a thumb's up.

Her smile somehow widened and the president could see some of the more "bird" features that reminded him how different the people of this world could be.

"We're not sure how she does this either. Our best hope at understanding this... magic... is actually our third helper over here."

Lelei La Lalena looked up from her book with indifference.

While she recognized the agent that gathered some of the more talented magic users around Alnus, she didn't recognize the others.

She knew one of them was the American president, as in the leader of one of the more powerful nations in this "other world" and in a way, the man in to thank for getting her so many books and knowledge.

She knew better, though.

"Master, that man still radiates a worrisome aura..." she whispered.

Cato El Altestan only replied by saying "Hush, child!"

"Anyway, she's been reading up English and science books and is as cooperative as can be with what scientists are here."

Lelei stared at Trent without any visible emotion.

The president noticed something in the way she eyed him, though.

"So, she understands English?" he asked.

Trent glanced at the girl.

Lelei replied with an almost silent "Yes, sir. I am Lelei La Lalena, student of Sage Cato El Altestan."

She was clearly the youngest.

No older than 16, maybe even younger than that.

He frowned.

He turned to Trent and asked, "You spooks have an interest in her?"

"We believe this world's... magic... can have very practical applications in the field. I doubt our troops will use it any time soon, but small things like that spell the elf used that can knock people out, that wind magic from the harpy... Miss Lalena is studying how it can be amplified using science, and-"

"Alright, that's enough."

"Huh?"

Everyone else seemed to say that.

"What?" Pina asked once the translator spoke to her.

The president turned to the CIA man and whispered "Not kids. Not on my watch. Alright?"

Trent clenched his jaw, nodding slowly.

The president continued.

"You're already getting away with a lot, alright? I can turn a blind eye to some of it... but there are lines your people cannot cross."

"Of course, Mister President."

The youngest president to be elected in American history glanced briefly at the princess.

He turned to the young girl and said "We appreciate your help, miss Lalena, mister, err... All-test-an?"

The old man turned to the girl in confusion, the girl quietly saying "He is thanking you for your cooperation."

"Ooh... the pleasure is all mine! All mine indeed, sir!" the man said nervously.

Turning to the president, she asked "What did you mean by lines, sir?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. It's more of a... morality thing... if at any point you think they're exploiting you, just speak up, alright."

That surprised the girl.

The ruler of such a powerful nation promising protection, personal protection... to her?

From both the Empire and his own people?

Before she could say anything, the doors opened an American soldier stepped through.

"S-sir! Generals want to see you, sir!" the young man stammered out.

"What's wrong?" the relaxed politician vanished and the wartime leader emerging.

"I... I don't know, sir... a civilian or... or a messenger from the kingdom of Elbe is requesting assistance with something."

The kingdom of Elbe?

He turned to Trent with a dangerous look.

"Stay in line, Mister Colbert..." he warned.

The CIA agent only said "Yes, mister president." and followed the man out of the cafeteria, leaving a tinge of frustration behind as he forced himself to be professional with the American president.

Lelei stared ahead, somewhat confused by the odd sense of tension in the room.

Was there some internal conflict with the American leaders?

Imperial Capital

12: 33 PM

Tyuule was busy reading some of the quickly arriving parchments of merchants and blacksmiths swearing loyalty to a certain pompous emperor.

She sighed, unable to do anything but appreciate how well written some of the documents were.

She looked around the room she was in.

It was a large "office", mostly empty since the staff was busy with other things on this oh so solemn "day of mourning".

Thinking of the dead emperor only brought her anger.

Her mind briefly shooting back to the past.

"Now, Tyuule, when you write, make sure the letters are neat and tidy." her mother spoke softly into her ear, watching as she began to write carefully.

How exactly letters were supposed to be "tidy" was beyond her ten-year-old self, but she would never doubt her mother.

No, little Tyuule was as obedient as any parent could hope.

As she continued writing, she briefly overheard something outside, as did her mother.

The older woman sighed, calmly placed her shoulders on her daughter, lowering her ears by hand, saying "Focus on your writing, alright, dear?"

"Yes, mother." she had said.

Tyuule very much remembered overhearing her mother's conversation with the guards that day.

"More and more of these imperial soldiers have been amassing on the border, queen. It will be difficult to repel them if they attack." the soldier had said.

Her mother only replied "And attacking them now means facing imperial wrath like never before. Instead of repelling them, I suggest we prepare for a potential fighting retreat. That way if they come, we will be able to hit them on our own terms and make them pay dearly for invading our lands..."

"Tyuule!"

Tyuule's eyes popped open, Bouro's figure staring back at her.

"Apologies, majesty, but you were very-"

"I was dozing off, yes. Thank you for waking me. Is there anything important?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not, but I believe you should know."

"Know what?"

The irritating chuckle made her shudder.

"Don't make me convince Zorzal you're replaceable."

"Oh, majesty, you're too cruel..."

"What's the information?"

Bouro sighed, disappointed he was being denied the usually preferred payment.

Still, he said "That assistant to the head chef? August?"

"Yes?"

"I saw him snooping around on orders of the head chef."

"Oh?"

The head chef suspects Dennis as well?

"Indeed, your majesty. What shall we do?"

Tyuule placed a stone on the parchment and stood up.

"Well, we don't want him getting into trouble and risking our entire strategy. Come along, Bouro, I'll need your ability to not be seen."

"But, Majesty, why not-?'

"Question not!"

Alnus Hill

The special office was nothing special. The American flag hung on the wall, the desk was full of documents for the general to read, and aside from the wooden chairs, the room was practically bare-bones.

The American president stared at the ebony-skinned woman with a degree of uncertainty.

She was essentially begging, pleading with him for help.

Problem was, he couldn't understand her, and even the translator appeared to be waiting for her to finish.

It was the black young soldier next to her who patted her back, and said something, calming her down.

He then turned, smiled awkwardly, and said "Sorry, sir, she's desperate. See, her tribe lives near a mountain, and it's become a bit of a hunting ground for the giant dragon the Marines wounded in that first expedition. She says her tribe is willing to do whatever it takes to get support.

Before the president could reply, the princess was already speaking, albeit much more clearly.

The interpreter quickly said, "Princess Pina says that she can talk to King Duran, the ruler of Elbe."

"King Duran... we know him?"

"Not personally. Some of the prisoners we captured in our second major battle said he refused to attack after our troops tried to peacefully communicate with the Allied Armies. It seems he has since retreated home to safeguard it."

The president sighed.

"Sending people to negotiate isn't really a strong suit of the powerful in this world, huh?"

The interpreter turned to Pina and translated.

"No, sir." Pina sighed.

Translate.

The president scratched the back of his head and turned to the generals.

"Well, fellas?"

The older one said "We'd have to talk to king Duran first. Get a better lay of the land, where exactly the beast is-"

"So, it's doable?"

The general stammered, unsure suddenly.

"Oh, come on, general, you guys are so gung-ho about showing off your firepower!"

"But... it would distract from the-"

The president turned to the girl, saying "Tell her the United States Armed Forces are happy to help. And Princess Pina, if you can get King Duran to come to talk to our representatives that would be excellent."

"But mister president-"

"Try Commander in Chief. I've been delayed a fair bit, and we still have a ton of issues to deal with back home..." the man groaned.

Pina stared, finding herself surprised yet again.

"This war is essentially over, general. The only problem we have is dealing with enemy forces. Figure something out about that Dragon and these forces hiding in the mountains."

At hearing the word "mountain" Pina quickly spoke.

The president turned to her, then to his interpreter.

The man said, "She wants to send a letter to get her troops to assist our own in case General Tiberius refuses to surrender."

The president considered it, before finally saying "Alright, green light it. Local support is key here... and if we can get her brother on board then even better. Now... I have to go finish up here. Madame." the president concluded, nodding towards Yao and exiting.

As the group left, Yao stared emptily at the office.

Shaun said "Congratulations. There are some tents you can stay in, or you can get a ride into this small town-"

"It was so easy?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"Why was it so easy? I-I didn't even get to offer them gold or, or-"

...or myself...

"Look, we appreciate the offer, but honestly, the most we're probably interested in now is resources. Probably send some of our... um... men of science... to investigate the land and see if there's anything we can use. We're not supposed to be mercenaries."

That final part concerned Yao a touch.

Interested in the land, not the money?

"Um... to clear any confusion, your country isn't planning on enslaving-"

"We don't use slaves!" Shaun said, a bit angry.

The dark elf shrunk.

"Don't bring up slavery, alright? We don't like it, we hate it. Anyone from our side that says otherwise isn't one of us! Understood?"

Yao nodded slowly.

Shaun sighed.

Don't care if it's normal here, it ain't right so why should I pretend it is?

Taking a deep breath, he smiled politely and said "Anyway, I got some time... want me to show you around town?"

Yao nodded slowly.

Internally, she made a note not to suggest slavery in front of these men ever again, confusing as it may have been to her.

Imperial Capital

August stared at the closed door with purpose but didn't open it.

Tyuule felt some degree of satisfaction that the chef hadn't noticed her despite her being only a few feet away. Either the man was so affected by seeing the previous emperor die his senses were all scrambled or she was just that hard to miss, which in her case might be more beneficial than not.

She kept her arms crossed, waiting for the man to make a move.

The move came quickly.

August put his hand on the door and began pushing it open.

Tyuule grinned and quickly said, "My, oh my, what are you doing here, Chef August?"

August appeared to freeze in place at the threatening tone in her voice.

The chef slowly turned to her and said "You again..."

"Indeed. Might I ask what you're doing in this part of the palace?"

August huffed, saying "Just came to check on my underling. Nothing you'd understand."

"Oh, how interesting, I'm here for the same thing."

"What are you here to do?" he asked her.

"Why, ensure he's not dead, of course!"

"He was fine last night. He's still a kid despite his age, and it's not like I hit to kill."

"You know as well as I do how some wounds kill long after the fact. Regardless, why are you here?"

August didn't reply, pushing the door open.

The room was empty.

"Oh, it seems he's not here..." Tyuule said, her smile never fading.

August said, "Guess he went for a walk..."

He entered the room.

"Chef August, what are you doing?"

"I lost a knife recently. It's of sentimental value... I just want to make sure he didn't steal it." he said, lifting the few sheets on the slab of wood the American used as a bed.

Tyuule's smile vanished.

I can't let him mess with this room.

"Chef August, I must admit, I'm growing concerned with your strange interest in the young man."

"I didn't ask."

"But his majesty will."

At those words, August only turned to angrily jab a finger in her face.

"Listen here... I don't know what ploy you have going on, but I don't care. I don't even care if the kid is actually responsible for getting the emperor poisoned or not. But there is an ongoing threat to the Empire within these walls, and ever since that child was hired everything has felt off! If the Emperor knows then that's even worse and he must be deposed!"

Tyuule said nothing, her expression not betraying any reaction the monologue might have brought forth in her.

"You plan on getting rid of me next?" he asked.

"I plan on suggesting you see the royal healer."

Tyuule wasn't surprised when the man grabbed her face and pulled her up close.

"Don't get funny with me, alright?" August said in a calm voice.

Tyuule didn't reply nor did she react, knowing well enough that the most the man could do didn't compare to what she could bring about now.

Frustrated at the lack of fear, August released her and went back to rummaging through the empty bedsheets.

Tyuule then said "Whatever you're searching for is likely long gone. Assuming the boy left for the market today, he could've sold whatever you're looking for if it was expensive, or at the very least stashed it."

August growled "I know that... I'm looking for evidence he could have taken it, now leave! He's clearly alive so you have no reason to stay here!"

Silence.

August turned and quietly said "Leave. Now."

"I'm afraid that I cannot."

"Don't you talk to me that-"

August fell silent as Tyuule went and grabbed him and shoved him against the wall with all her strength, which to his surprise, was just enough to push him into the nearby wall. Normally, Warrior Bunnies were as physically strong as any other soldier, sometimes more so. Trained warriors were said to be able to lob a man's head clean off with a mere kick, and even if that was an exaggeration, the numbers lost in Battle against them spoke for themselves that Warrior Bunnies were a strong race.

However, Tyuule had two obstacles going against her. For starters, she had never been trained as a soldier, certainly no more than the very basic training a young princess would receive. But worse than that, years of malnourishment and abuse had weakened the fallen queen. Had she trained to be a warrior and not been constantly abused, the story might have been different, but Zorzal would rather his slaves not be able to bring a risk to his illusion of dominance, it had cost Tyuule dearly.

But not to the point that she wasn't a threat.

It wasn't entirely enough to knock him into the floor, but it did cause him to trip and fall over by the bed, which was what Tyuule wanted as she loomed over him.

"I have grown tired of your insolence, August." she sighed.

The chef began to get back up, ready to beat the rebellious bunny to a pulp. If the emperor was so upset, then he could just get a more loyal slave. And hey, why not blame Den? Clearly, she had some interest in the young cook, maybe even to the point of a potential affair. So why not get them both out in one move? He made up his mind, but she clicked her tongue and spoke in a threatening tone.

"I wouldn't do that, sir. But then again, I wouldn't lay a hand on his majesty's personal advisor and you went and did exactly that..." she muttered the last part.

August didn't know what she meant, but the crimson eyes did not suggest she was toying with him. Suddenly realizing his mistake, he nervously remained sitting on the floor, silent, a touch afraid.

The invisible hands around his throat were more than enough incentive to keep him there.

Tyuule lifted her index finger to her chin and began to pace around the room, musing aloud as she considered the options as to how to deal with a potential subversive to her plans.

"What to do, what to do... normally I would let something like this go on as it's usually harmless, but it's growing rather irritating. We cannot be dealing with drama in the kitchen while we are at war, you know."

"Then you should focus on Den!"

"Oh, I'll focus on Den soon enough, but as far as I know, he's not the one actively pursuing trouble."

"He provoked me and defended the likely killers of Emperor-"

"The emperor died of an illness. I doubt you believe that, but it's what we, Emperor Zorzal included, understand happen. If you wish to investigate, perhaps you should do it in a way that doesn't cause trouble."

"I was doing just that!"

"Ah, so you lied about your missing knife?"

"N-no! I'm missing a knife, and I think that runt took it! He's a trouble-child! He refuses to take his job seriously!"

"How so?"

"He just... does what he's told... he's not interested, he doesn't talk to anyone... he's an insubordinate brat!"

"Is he now? Tell me what trouble has he caused aside from that one time he seemingly disrespected you?"

August's jaw clenched as he knew there wasn't much in regards to concrete reasons for his personal dislike of the young man. The kid was quiet but never disobedient, clearly didn't enjoy the work in the kitchen but he never heard him complain, and while his missing knife had made him suspicious, he had no evidence it was Den who took it.

The white-haired girl grinned as she said "Ah, perhaps young August is jealous that he got the work so easily where he had to waste his life learning culinary arts?"

"Don't waste my time." the man growled.

"Don't give me a reason to. We're all on the same team now, are we not?"

"I highly doubt that."

"Ah, dangerous words, young August. Bold, but dangerous."

"You don't know how many people are against you. Emperor Molt may have alienated many with his plan, but most of us know it was a necessary evil."

"Really, now?"

August loudly said "Yes! Stop pretending you have any control! You're a plaything for the emperor! Once he gets bored, you'll be kicked out! Stop pretending to be loyal when you're biding your time for the enemy to appear!"

Tyuule's smile never faded, if anything she began to giggle.

After a moment, she sighed, as if satisfied.

"Ah, the loyalty of the palace staff is admirable, no? Alright, August. Get comfortable. We're going to be here a while."

"Huh?"

"I wonder what young Den will say once he gets here and sees you."

August grit his teeth, helpless to do anything.

Tyuule glanced at Bouro, ignoring the concerned look.

Why not just kill him now?

Tyuule simply shook her head and closed her eyes.

Her mind traveling to the past...

"Tyuule, always remember that how you hold the blade matters."

"Yes, father." her younger self had said, staring at the wooden dummy with rusty equipment on it.

A bad attempt at simulating an Imperial Soldier, but her young imagination could fill in the gaps. It applied similarly to other warrior tribes but most kinds of armor were lackluster over the great northern plains.

Still, it didn't hurt to train.

"Imperial Armies are well armored. Our blades are mostly designed for slashing, slitting throats... you can even decapitate one with ease if you aim at the neck... right here." her father said, pointing at where the neck would ideally be.

She glanced at her mother, the young woman stroking her older brother's hair as the teenager rested on her lap.

Tyuule turned to her father and asked "How bad was the attack, father?"

The older man shook his head, saying "It was a head hunter tribe's hunting party. It seemed like they attacked impulsively with no real plan... still. The savagery needed to kill your own people affects the mind."

She looked at her brother again.

"Do you get night terrors, too, father?"

The older man chuckled slightly, saying "Your old man isn't so insecure to deny it, daughter. Ah, it's a matter of getting accustomed to it..."

Tyuule looked at the knife and imagined how it could feel stabbing someone with it.

What effect would it have on her? Killing another person?

She couldn't imagine...

"How long did it take you to get accustomed to it, father?"

The older man looked at the horizon, his eyes seemingly looking past it and into the past.

"About a year, I suppose... your mother helped a lot, but... it's necessary to get accustomed to the savagery of this world so that it doesn't affect us as we expand. We want to eventually bring peace, do we not?"

"Yes, father."

"Then we have to endure such horrors. For a better world, so that our children don't have to suffer the same fate."

Tyuule eyed her father with a degree of admiration.

"Rabbit!"

Her eyes shot open.

"I'm dying of thirst here!"

"Too bad!" she spoke angrily, seeing that Bouro was still in the same spot, holding the man's neck.

"I have to use the-"

"Soil your own pants then. You entered a room without permission, I will treat you as a thief until told otherwise, now sit and be silent!"

August didn't reply.

Tyuule had to hand it to Bouro, the shapeshifter was able to fool people, and while it was possible the chef hadn't complained, even if he had, odds were, his cries would not be heard.

She wondered how exactly he was able to accomplish such tasks.

But more importantly... where are you, Orville?

3:00 PM

"Streets are clear enough now... looks like the legions did their job well enough..." Drew said, placing the M3 on the table.

"If we're going to take you back, now's the time." the beret finished, glancing towards the warrior bunnies.

The girls only nodded.

Rhodes turned to Dennis, asking "What'd he say?"

"Streets are finally clear, captain. I should head back, too."

"Right. I'll get Alex to radio for extraction for them. You got the books?"

"Yes, captain."

"Great. Watch your back in the palace. Sean, think you can escort him back?"

"Yeah, captain." Sean hopped down from his position near a stairway and headed over.

Delilah, understanding that it was time to return to Itálica, tugged on Dennis's sleeve.

The American turned, giving her a questioning glance.

She said "Don't trust her. If you get the chance to kill her once she's no use, do it."

"You're really bent on killing her, huh? Too cowardly to do it yourself?" he groaned, clearly angry at the request.

The girl audibly ground her teeth, saying "I'd do it myself, but your leaders won't let me!"

"You'd do it even if it turned out you're wrong about her?"

"Am I wrong about her?"

Dennis fell silent.

The white-haired girl certainly gave off a malicious personality, but then again, how much goodwill could a person seeking to destroy an entire nation have left? The occasional laughter that came from her was of nothing else than pleasure at seeing her enemies fail, pure Schadenfreude. How much of it could be chalked up to abuse and the horror of being a slave he just didn't know, but he did know one thing.

She had surrendered seeking to save her people.

What evil ruler would do that?

Turning to Delilah, he said "I don't know. But killing her isn't on my list, so don't get your hopes up."