8. Chapter 8(2)

That included assisting in taking care of a certain monster far away and allying with an inexperienced princess and a few senators.

But his job wasn't to worry about such things. Ultimately, he was indifferent to the ongoing situation, other far more important things on his mind.

Specifically, a certain tribe.

"Tell me about shapeshifters..." he said out loud as the planes flew away.

Lelei La Lalena was sitting comfortably on the jeep the soft breeze blowing her cyan hair in such a way her eyes were never obstructed as she read a book labeled, "Physics".

She asked, "Is that why you brought me out here?"

Trent coldly replied with "Correct. Far enough from our base, so odds of spies overhearing our conversation are low, and-"

"And it's isolated enough that you can see people coming. Understandable..." she said, placing the book on her lap and looking up at the CIA Agent.

Silence for a moment, as if the girl was considering things.

"What do you want to know?" the young girl then asked, the Military Police escort accompanying them keeping his M2 Carbine well in hand.

The girl didn't necessarily distrust the man who worked for the American government, but as the young leader of the nation had acted around him, it was more than a little clear to Lelei that these Americans were not angels or demons or any form of "superior" beings. She was dealing with humans, same as her, which made them equally fallible and equally dangerous. As the aircraft above flew out of earshot, she knew very well these humans were more advanced and intelligent in some aspects, but the young girl wasn't so naïve as to believe that just because these people were advanced, they were all friendly or meant well. Especially not after seeing the clear division and tension between the nation's leader and his own military.

Humans are still humans, regardless of the time... however...

Trent sat back down, not looking at the girl, he asked "You're a bookworm. A prodigy I'd argue... do you know anything of the shapeshifters in this land?"

Lelei tilted her head.

"Mostly rumors, sir."

"Yeah, I figured as much, but see... the problematic situation my people are finding themselves under..." his hands reached and grasped at the air, as if he was hunting for the proper words, before saying "well, we know they exist. But we don't know enough to know how they function or how we can counter them."

Lelei nodded, and with little interest said "I see. You hope I have been able to understand how something from my world works now that I have some more knowledge available to me."

Trent grinned that eerie smile of his that made Lelei feel uncomfortable, and the same appeared to apply to the nearby MPs, who she noticed eyed the man with disapproval.

"Exactly. You've lived in this world; you know how it works or what things do... now that you have access to our information..."

She nodded, and simply said "Radio."

Trent blinked.

"Radio."

She repeated assuming he had misheard her.

"You... want to talk-?"

She shook her head.

"Your tests on this world's magic have mostly been inconclusive, however, there is one thing that is conclusive on certain types of magic, specifically..."

She reached over with her left hand, and the aviators lifted from Trent's face, revealing his blue eyes before floating onto Lelei's.

Trent frowned.

"I, alongside many wizards, can utilize telekinetic abilities to reach for things. This is related to my understanding of the world around me... in doing so, however..."

She flipped the Jeep's radio on, and the aviators floated back onto Trent, who quickly grabbed the shades from the air.

He turned to the radio and noticed the subtle interference it picked up when Lelei used her ability.

He then turned to her and said "Using mind magic messes with our communications, but how does that help us?"

"How do you think a shapeshifter shapeshifts?"

Trent shrugged, saying "My guess was that they're like chameleons."

Lelei said "Chameleons can change color to better blend into their ecosystem... shapeshifters can completely hide their presence from others if the rumors hold. If one were to be hiding in the grass and we knew it was there, we could probably find it or make it out, but that isn't possible for your men. Plus, they knew how to speak English..."

Trent nodded slowly, realizing where she was going with things.

"Huh... that... that gives us options... good job, kid."

He spoke, deep in thought as he stood up and looked back at the mountain.

"It is merely a theory given the information you have given me."

"Yeah, but it's better than nothing."

No one spoke.

Lelei then asked, "What will happen to the forest?"

Trent only said "Give it a few days... there isn't going to be a forest for our enemies..."

Then, turning to the driver, said "Alright, take us back... better get this message to the guys at the capital... as well as carry out a few tests."

Imperial Capital

10:00 AM

She chewed on the loaf of bread she had stolen, observing the growing crowd of civilians as the city appeared to have returned to some degree of normality.

"I hear the Imperial Army is finally going to push out of the Capital and force the enemy back."

"Keep dreaming. I hear the enemy is fighting against some imperial forces in the mountains, which means they never stopped at Italica."

"Just give me the bread."

She shook her head and wiped her face, standing back up.

She felt the presence then and quickly whirled around.

"It's just me, warrior. Relax."

She refused to relax but didn't strike.

Bouro calmly placed the wrapped-up blade down.

"Here, I had to do quite a bit of digging to get this."

"Good." came the angry reply as the girl picked up the blade and looked it over.

Bouro said, "I've noticed you've stayed here... when exactly do you plan on making a move?"

"Soon... what exactly are... her usual activities?" she asked, with a hint of disgust.

Bouro said "She's usually in the palace. Living it up, assisting the emperor in some areas... the day you decide to kill her I can get you to-"

"I want to see her and I want her to see me when she dies."

Bouro was silent.

The fallen warrior added "She is responsible for the deaths of countless people, including my family... she doesn't get to live. I'll kill her, don't you worry..."

Bouro sighed, but snuck away, more pressing issues at hand.

A moment later he was in his home again, two individuals sitting down on the floor.

Bouro approached them and asked "So?"

"Unfortunately, all we know is that if you pull on this pin and throw it, it will explode... we have no idea what it's made of, how to acquire the materials, or how to make the explosions larger as we saw at Itálica and Alnus."

Bouro groaned before also sitting on the floor.

The three individuals were silent.

Finally, he clapped his hands together and said "Well, ladies, unfortunately for us, we are out of time. The Americans are fully prepared to annihilate the forces of Tiberius, our little ally in the palace has done too good a job maintaining Zorzal from figuring things out, and it seems that Princess Pina will take the throne in a limited fashion... I believe that today is the day we choose our final course."

Silence reigned yet again.

Warning Tiberius would be pointless.

The Americans were dug in all over the Dumas Mountain range, so any head-on attack would fail eventually.

The best the Haryo Tribe could hope for was to sabotage the Americans just enough to force them to grant some negotiations. There was no way they could win against them, but perhaps they could get what they wanted.

"Kucy, you know how to operate this... grenade?"

The massive, furry creature nodded slowly, speaking entirely through its mind.

"Yes, I recently came across a form that may allow me to get closer to the Americans... close enough to throw this and kill several of them. I could also finish off the rest and be back here, though I will assume that they would have used their weapons on me by then."

Bouro nodded, saying "Unfortunately that is a likely scenario... given the number of Demi-humans near them, is it also possible at least one of them will sense something off about you?"

"Yes, but this form I... acquired... it shouldn't bring suspicion."

Boro's working eye went wide as he realized something. It was only known to those who could shapeshift, but while those who had been born with the ability to bend the minds of those around them, it wasn't possible to change appearances until they had stolen the form of another person. He wondered if Kucy was implying that she had killed an American already, but then he realized another possibility.

"You found a child that you could use?"

"Indeed. I had to hunt her for quite some time, but I have her... she was a little werewolf child. That dog-child that spends her time with the Americans shouldn't bother me, and most of the demi-humans in the Red-Light District are so out of touch I doubt they will notice."

Bouro nodded. The Americans seemed to be rather protective of children, which was something they could use against them.

"Good... that's good. Norra, what about you?"

The second shapeshifter in the room scratched the inside of her cat-like ears, saying "I can probably kill anyone you ask me to."

Bouro sighed, asking "Then we are all in agreement that we will try to force the Americans to some kind of... stalemate?"

Kucy's monstrous teeth glistened as she grinned.

Nora only said "There really is no other option, is there? If the Americans' plans go perfectly, we'll be, at best, ordinary citizens. Our tribe has been working to achieve grandeur for too long to lose it all now."

"Indeed... indeed..."

"But it begs the question... what do you plan to do with Tyuule? She's probably our biggest threat right now."

Warrior Bunnies were the only race that could effectively, almost supernaturally, detect the shapeshifters of the Empire. Oh, surely some other races could perhaps sense them, but the Warrior Bunnies, in particular, were almost like an alarm bell.

Bouro said "As much as I would like to have her, I have a plan in motion. If killing her fails... then we break her."

"And the American she's with?"

Bouro said "He dies... if not tomorrow, then the day the emperor makes his move, but he cannot be allowed to protect Tyuule. That girl was working with us because she had no other help, but with him and the resources the Americans can bring..."

He ground his teeth in anger.

Everything would have worked if the Americans weren't so adamant about destroying the Empire he wanted to rule.

But to add insult to injury by stealing away the girl he had been working for years to make his own?

Beyond unacceptable.

"We must stop them. No matter what the cost. This Empire... these people... they will feel our presence and bow before it!"

10:00 PM

"No, I haven't noticed any radio interference, but... I suppose we can check."

Tyuule was looking over the book when Dennis said "Hey, think you can call Bouro in here for a minute?"

She only nodded, calling "Bouro, are you there?"

There was nothing but silence for a few seconds before the slimy voice came from underneath the table.

Dennis frowned, just barely able to see the pig-like humanoid.

"Yes, lady Tyuule?"

"The Americans want to perform some tests. Cooperate with them." came the command as Tyuule continued studying the book.

Bouro glanced at Dennis.

The young American said, "Can you become invisible to me?"

"Certainly... why?"

"We just want to test something here."

Dennis noticed how the creature's singular functioning eye appeared to narrow before he vanished.

Over the radio, the subtlest, almost imperceptible spike in static was heard.

"Again, please?" Dennis asked.

Again, the nearly imperceptible change.

"Thank you, Bouro."

"What exactly-?"

"Oh, I think you have a pretty decent idea... by the way, have you tracked down our culprit?"

In the shadows, Bouro clenched his jaw, hiding his disgust with the Americans' abilities.

"Unfortunately, she is quite adept at hiding." he half-lied.

"Unacceptable," Tyuule said. No anger, no frustration, pure disinterest it seemed, as if she was merely stating a fact, such as "the sky is blue" or "Dennis has brown hair".

Bouro said "I'm searching myself. It's as if she has left no trace. It's possible she stole the weapon and plans on selling it somewhere."

"But if she shows up in the city, you'll know, right? You have eyes and ears everywhere, right?" Dennis asked, not even bothering to hide his mistrust.

Bouro only said, "I'm not a god, sir."

He didn't appreciate how the American seemed to look down on him, but instead of insulting him or attacking him in some way, Dennis only said "Yeah... yeah, but we need to find that grenade. Fast."

"I'm working on it."

Tyuule only said "Good. Bring us results."

Bouro said "Yes, my queen." and vanished into the shadows.

As Dennis relayed the information, Tyuule went back to eyeing the young man.

Dennis hid the radio and saw her looking at him.

"You alright?" he asked in English.

With a twitch of her ears, she asked "What do you think of me?"

Just as quickly, Dennis replied, "I think you're amazing, especially given all you do."

She sighed as if disappointed by the answer, turning back to the language book.

Noticing her frustration, as well as realizing his own, Dennis said "Alright... look... we're on a mission... I understand... but pretty soon we won't be on one anymore."

"Correct."

She spoke, matter-of-factly.

"So... look here..." he said, waving his hand.

Tyuule slowly turned to look at him, and Dennis did his best to ignore the sadness in her eyes.

Determined to push on, he said "Once this mission is over... there's something I have to tell you. Haven't told you about it yet. Can't tell you about it right now either, so don't bother asking."

Tyuule frowned.

"However, once the mission is over and we're both safe, I'll tell you."

"What's that going to do for me?" she asked with a huff.

Dennis shrugged, saying "Maybe give you something to look forward to after? Like, I want to go on leave and eat a genuine American burger once we get back... the nice, juicy type that Alex, God bless him, just can't replicate... see? Something to look forward to." Dennis said, forcing a smile.

It was hard to have something to look forward to on leave if you had no one to return to.

Tyuule eyed him for a moment, noticing the young man's awkwardness, but not commenting on it.

"Right... I won't be here tomorrow. His Majesty wants me to accompany him to inspect the coming reinforcements. Stay out of trouble, alright?" she said then, turning away.

Dennis said "Understood. I'll probably stay out of the palace for the day, maybe check on Charlotte."

Turning to face him again, she said "Tell... tell Charlotte to behave, too."

Dennis felt a warm smile creep on his face as he said "Yeah... I'll tell her. Good n-"

With a sharp breath, Tyuule stepped outside before he finished his sentence, shutting the door quickly.

She sat on the floor, covering her ears, shutting her eyes tightly. Her mind was a whirlwind as it tried to gather her thoughts and emotions.

On the one hand, the American was clearly trying to give her hope of a future.

On the other hand, she didn't deserve any future.

She only wanted the destruction of the empire, nothing more. She would even die happily if it meant the people who betrayed her died. Someone else could lead her people. Why should they stop hating her? She messed up. She surrendered. She gave up. Even if she had sacrificed herself, she had been selfish and cowardly.

She deserved everything that had happened to her.

Even her revenge was too much to ask, and she was only carrying it out because it would also avenge her fallen family.

Briefly, she wondered what her parents would say.

Mother... father...

Images of her family enjoying a nice dinner before the invasion pushed into her mind.

Damn it all!

Dennis opened the door, rubbing his face, unamused.

He saw her on the floor, and they made eye contact, her sad eyes on the verge of tears.

Perhaps in a film he would have picked her up and done something romantic, but...

"Tyuule?" he asked, worried.

She stood up, her face contorted as if in pain, her quickly saying "Mission first... please..."

Dennis nodded slowly.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't want to pursue her further then, and he nervously reached for her, but in response she stepped back, her head lowering.

"Please... please let me focus..." she whispered.

Dennis stood at the door for a second, frozen.

"Alright."

In response she turned around and ran off, disappearing down the hall.

Part of him wanted to chase after her and he took the very first step out of his room before a voice in the back of his head echoed in his mind and froze him in place.

You'll lose it all and gain nothing.

Dennis swallowed as he stood there.

He'd become emotionally attached to her.

It wasn't that she was a pretty face anymore, after the death and violence he had seen in his month of service, he genuinely wanted to keep her safe.

His heart began to pound on his chest as he realized the danger of the situation once more, his mind going back to the new bruises he had seen on her neck, and he had to commend himself by limiting how far this "relationship" would go now that he had drawn a line in the sand.

Once this mission is over... there's something I have to tell you.

Tell her what?

"Let's go out on a real date?"

Was the previous one not a real one?

He felt his nails dig into his palms as he shook his head.

There was a lot of work to do before he could even consider that, and a part of him wondered how far he would take it even if he did succeed.

She's a savage in the end, right?

The thought lingered in his mind for a moment before he dashed it away, shaking his head.

No... if anything, she's the only normal person this side of the gate I've met.

He shut the door and went to bed.

His eyes kept popping open in the night and he couldn't help but feel a degree of frustration.

Lying on his side on an already uncomfortable bed, he began literally counting sheep and trying to fall asleep.

His problem wasn't lack of sleep, but fear, not that he would admit it.

April 30th, 1964

Outskirts of the Imperial Capital

The men continued marching much to Zorzal's delight. Their armor was clean, their shields formation impenetrable, their blades sharpened, and their form perfect.

Here he was, a true born leader, watching his followers do as told, ready to dominate the enemy and force them back across that accursed gate!

He glanced at his price from his previous victory, and...

Oh, why does she look so melancholy these days?! Oh, how can I get some more energy into her eyes?

He grinned then, an idea flashing into his mind.

Turning to her, he said "Isn't it marvelous, Tyuule? Soon, my army will conquer these Americans like I did your people!"

Tyuule appeared bored, but in response she smiled, saying "I'm certain your victories will be great your majesty."

Zorzal felt like groaning but didn't as General Rufus approached him, followed by several men.

"Emperor, here are the generals you selected."

"Great! Men, good men, I have wonderful news! Soon, we shall push the enemy beyond the Gate!"

As Zorzal went on to butcher the speech he had likely spent all of five minutes writing, Tyuule studied the generals and frowned.

One of them looked far too competent.

The other generals appeared bored, almost perturbed by the speech Zorzal was giving, too used to a cushy life up in the east. But this one was patiently listening, likely genuinely!

"...our forefathers created this through conquest and we shall continue this! General, what is your name?!"

"Borhos, your majesty!"

"A good name! A strong name! You shall lead two legions... and you?"

Borhos... I'll keep that name in mind...

Briefly, she considered having the Haryo disappear him, but...

She remembered the messenger she had killed with a pang of regret, especially given the kindness that was now being shown to her.

Back then no one had helped her. Even Bouro was only helping her based on the fact that he wanted her body.

But Dennis Orville was actively trying to help her in more ways than one, and despite how often she tried pushing him away, he kept trying to be kind to her.

I don't deserve-

"So, Tyuule... what do you think?"

Snapping back to reality, she said "An excellent decision, your majesty."

"Yes... yes, it is... now, you men go ahead, I would like some time alone with my little bunny."

One of the generals gaped at the statement.

Zorzal then said "Oh, yes, my little bunny... I do not discriminate and neither should you! Come, Tyuule!"

"Yes, your majesty!" she replied, awkwardly moving the horse behind his.

As they moved after the marching army, Zorzal said "This takes me back, back to before... oh, is it not wonderful, Tyuule?"

"Wonderful?"

"The power that is in an army, an army you control... it gives you the power to do so much with just your word..."

She would be lying if the way Zorzal was talking didn't worry her, but she couldn't show it.

Instead, she said, "I suppose I don't know enough to tell..."

Zorzal laughed, saying "Of course you don't, you were as much of a savage as the rest of your people when I defeated you! But father... oh, father... father taught me the importance of armies since I was a child."

"I... see."

Still smiling, Zorzal said, "You know father always took me with him?"

Yes...

"I always found the way our armies simply... rolled on through everything and everyone so... amazing... that is power. The power to control your opponents with nothing but a good sword and a spear. Those cowardly Americans and their cowardly machines of war..."

He spat on the ground.

"They know nothing! They don't understand how to properly dominate a people!"

He grinned cruelly as he said, "Oh, this will surely show them that they never stood a chance, worthy an opponent as they might have been!"

He then turned to Tyuule, saying "You should hope they have no queens or women in their armies... I feel like this conquest will make your defeat little more than a footnote."

Tyuule smiled and said, "An Emperor like you deserves only the best."

"Indeed. Indeed, I do!"

Tyuule observed the young emperor continue.

Again, she found herself feeling a pang of regret.

Why?!

As she pondered this, she remembered her own upbringing.

Her parents never forced or pushed her to train alongside soldiers. In fact, what training she got was almost entirely from her father.

She had never had to see the conquests of her family because her family was focusing on defense and never had time to conquer other tribes, and she never saw a Warrior Tribe raid another in her time, only seeing violence when it was her turn to rule.

But Molt dragged Zorzal to all his imperial conquests.

At this, a painful realization hit her.

Just what does constantly seeing war and conquest do to a person?

What does constantly seeing war and conquest do to a child?

In a way, Zorzal was little more than a product of his father, but...

As she rode after him, her eyes drifted to the ground, a sense of shame creeping over her, something that hadn't happened before when dealing with the lascivious prince turned emperor.

That doesn't make what he did good... nor does it make my actions good...

Deep down, a strange feeling began to manifest.

An odd sensation of... acceptance?

No.

Guilt...

Imperial Capital

"Den-is... Den-is."

Charlotte repeated "Dennis!"

"Good..." Dennis said, handing her another cracker.

Sean walked away from their hideout and said "So it's true Zorzal's gathering his army?"

"Yup. About time... hopefully, we can go home soon." came the clearly tired reply.

"Home!" Charlotte barked back in English.

Dennis patted her head, an exhausted smile on his face.

"You're not planning on...?"

"Maybe I am. Way I see it, Alnus is cleaner and better for kids than everything here."

He spoke not directly answering what his fellow Ranger was implying.

I don't think I can adopt her...

"What about Tyuule? You ask her to marry you yet?"

It was Charlotte who recognized the word and jumped to repeat and ask "Marry? Who-? Eek!"

Dennis tugged at the little girl's ears before answering Sean.

"That's none of your business. Both of you."

Sean raised his hands, saying "Of course, of course... watch yourself, her teeth are already-"

"Ah!" Dennis yelped, seeing Charlotte had bit his arm and was promptly teething on it like any breed of puppy would.

Dennis huffed, pulling at her ear again, saying "You don't bite people, you don't bite people."

Charlotte let go and pouted, muttering as she covered her ears.

"What?"

"...no..." she said, pointing to her droopy dog ears.

Dennis replied by saying "Hey, a tug on the ears is much better than getting spanked for biting my arm, don't you think?"

Again, she pouted.

Unimpressed, Dennis began pulling at her cheeks, saying "Keep making that face, it'll freeze like that."

Sean only replied with "Won't that scare her?"

"Didn't scare me. I behaved."

"Sure you did."

Little Charlotte then stopped pouting and turned her head, her ears perking up in alert, her tail going tense, and her head lowering slightly, as if suspicious.

"What's wrong?" Dennis asked.

The kid only pointed to the nearby alley.

Tom was walking nearby, shouldering the M60 as if he were crucified on it, so Dennis quickly pointed and said "Hey, Tom, anything over by the alley?"

Tom glanced with a shrug and then, tilting his head slightly, appeared confused.

"Uh... Yeah, there's a little kid watching us. Never seen her before."

The small child's head popped from the corner of the alley and hid back again just as quickly.

"One of your friends?" Sean asked, kneeling to her level.

The little girl only continued to stare at the alleyway.

Dennis hadn't ever really owned a dog himself, but he'd seen guys working with dogs before, and he knew for a fact when dogs were suspicious of something, their tails went tense like that. Whether or not that applied to demi-humans was beyond him, but...

Before he could formulate the thought, the child appeared from the alley.

What the hell?

She was naked, clearly younger than Charlotte, though the infant was clearly able to walk. Unlike most of the demi-humans the Rangers had seen, most with some mild animal features on their otherwise human bodies, this child was covered in dark fur, her face and hands being the only real human thing about her.

"Oh, geez... I'll... I'll go get her a blanket or... something." Sean said, startled by the appearance.

The little girl Dennis was holding began to growl in a very dog-like manner then.

"What's wrong?"

Charlotte pointed again and said "Bad!"

Tom walked over with a huff, saying "Maybe she's been with us too long, turned into some kind of supremacist."

Dennis stood up, holding Charlotte's hand, saying "Tom, anyone behind her?"

Tom glanced, saying "Not that I could see."

Dennis frowned, feeling that something wasn't right, but not quite able to put his finger on it.

The little girl took a step forward, out of the alley.

Charlotte began to growl and shout in the local tongue.

"Go away!" she said loudly.

Switching to the local tongue, Dennis asked "Who are you?"

The kid didn't answer, asking instead, "F-food?"

"No, go away!" Charlotte yelled in reply.

Tom sighed, saying "Oi, just because she's different-"

"Tom, that's not it... Alex? Hey, Alex?!" Dennis called, his eyes wide, not a little panicked.

Tom stared at the child, and the sense of wrongness finally came over him.

Despite the meek voice, despite the small size, and worse of all, despite the harmless demeanor... something about the way the girl was staring at him felt wrong. Her eyes were cat-like, which wasn't exactly strange, but they didn't look like any of the kids he had seen before. There was no curiosity, no fear, no humanity.

It was too much like an animal.

At this, he lowered the M60 so that it was ready to fire, keeping his finger off the trigger, but eyes on the girl.

Alex peered out the window, asking "What is it?"

"Got a radio on hand?"

At the mention of the American invention, the little girl retreated into the alley.

"H-hey! Get back... here?" Tom almost ran after her but stopped before entering the alley.

The girl had vanished into the shadows like a ghost.

"Tom, you see her?!"

"No, she... you don't think-?"

Dennis turned to Charlotte, quickly saying "Charlotte, go inside. Inside! Now!"

He urged her into their hideout, moving behind her, hand reaching for the .45 as the little girl obediently moved with him.

Alex suddenly shouted from the second floor.

"Tom! Tom! Left roof! Left roof!"

The machine gunner looked up immediately and turned the roof, shouldering it like a rifle, firing off a short burst the second he saw the shadow hop to the next building and duck.

As bullets went right into her cover, Kucy angrily tore the pin from the American weapon as she had understood it was done. A second part of the weapon fell then, and she wasn't sure if she had done it properly, but it didn't matter.

That damned dog was far keener than I anticipated... damn it all!

She threw the weapon and discarded her changed form to attack.

"GRENADE! GRENADE!" she heard the shout.

Dennis only saw the tiny explosive fall from the roof and land nearby.

He was at the door, pushing it open.

His body froze up, his words got caught in his mouth, a brief cough coming up in their stead as his training conflicted his immediate instinct of getting the kid out of the way.

Charlotte had only turned in confusion at the noise, though clearly, she was scared in her own right, she pushed through the door.

Dennis took a step forward then and threw himself to the floor, tackling Charlotte and doing his best to shield her.

The grenade went off in the middle of the open ground between the Ranger's hideout and the other buildings. That had been done on purpose when taking a building, as the open area made it a touch easier for the American weapons to mop up anyone trying to get close, and fragmentation grenades could be more unobstructed.

Unfortunately, it appeared the Haryo tribe was interested in using this against the Americans.

The explosion wasn't fiery as it was more like a loud puff of smoke, albeit one that hid deadly shrapnel that flew off in every direction, and without cover, the only salvation would be to try and be as small as possible.

Had the grenade been thrown by a trained soldier, the damage would have been far greater, but as Tom began standing up, noting he was unhurt, it was clear the most damage had been done to the surrounding buildings, as small holes had been made where the shrapnel had hit.

Kucy wasn't planning on letting them recover, though.

Dennis could feel his ear ringing as he felt rather than heard the gunfire from Tom's M60.

The man was still holding it like a rifle, firing into the rooftops in full auto, shell casings littering the floor beneath him, but the American was more concerned about something else.

Charlotte was holding her ears, whimpering in pain.

Other than that, she seemed unhurt, but...

He took a quick breath, said: "You're okay, you're okay, come on-"

"Dennis!"

He whirled around, his face contorting in disgust and terror at the creature lumbering towards him.

It was massive, about seven feet tall and four feet wide. Its head was cat-like, its eyes were yellow, and its claws...

Damn!

Dennis clutched Charlotte close and rushed inside.

"Sean, get the shotgun!" he yelled, the monster trying to squeeze through the door behind him, wailing in pain as Tom now had a clean shot and began riddling the monster with 7.62 NATO rounds.

Sean jumped down the stairs, saying "I see her, I see her..."

He loaded the Ithaca Model 37 with a loud *CLACK* and aimed at the monster.

"Ears!" Dennis told the girl, who obediently covered them as Dennis put his hands over them as well.

The shapeshifter wasn't done yet, and she began trying to change in front of the Americans to mess with their weapon's aim. She wasn't wholly sure she could make them hesitate, but her face quickly changed to a more innocent, less terrifying one.

Sean winced but keeping his aim steady, he fired, the slug piercing into Kucy's skull, liquifying her eye and part of her brain, the sound from the gun firing drowning out even the cracks from the M60 firing outside.

Yet somehow, it didn't kill her.

Sean readied another shot when she finally burst in, falling to the floor, Tom staring in horror behind, the impression being that his bullets had done nothing as the monster began to get up despite everything.

Dennis switched to the M1911 then, unloading the .45 ACP rounds into the furry beast, something she seemed to ignore, but clearly slowed her down. The youngest of the Rangers took heavy breaths as the slide on his handgun locked back, empty after the 7 rounds that would have dropped any normal man but seemed to only annoy the monster.

However, it was something else entirely that had him shaking now, but he forced himself to take his hands off the little girl and put in the second magazine into the M1911 as Sean fired again and Tom took a few shots on his own.

Kucy appeared to ignore the men firing at her and lumbered towards the left side of the room, her claws reaching out for the wall before crashing into it and collapsing, blood spilling onto the floor.

"Orville, get her out. Now!" Sean commanded.

Dennis picked Charlotte up and began moving away from the entrance, preferring to hop out a window or something, anything than getting closer to that thing. Charlotte tightly holding on to his neck. He stared at the shaking girl, only a bit of blood on her face had splattered from the creature, which went to show just how much damage they were doing at such close a range.

Dennis swallowed, not reacting as he stood up and turned his attention to Tom as he got inside, pointing the M60 at the monster.

No one spoke.

The creature then appeared to stop breathing.

Both Rangers then fired several more rounds into the creature's head, snapping into pieces.

Charlotte screamed at the sound; despite being shielded from the carnage, she had already seen enough, and the thought disturbed the Ranger.

After a moment of eerie stillness, Tom asked "Is it dead?"

Using the Model 37's barrel, Sean poked the creature with it.

No movement from the corpse.

Both Rangers sucked in a breath.

"W-what... the bloody hell?" Tom said, kicking the large corpse.

"Is it dead?!..." Alex ran downstairs, shouting, M16 on hand, magazines on the other.

"I think so..." Sean said with a horrified expression.

The bullets had torn her apart. It wasn't like a B-movie monster that could just shrug away at the damage modern weapons caused. It had been effectively ripped to pieces, some of its limbs barely holding on by a thread of mangled flesh, muscle, and fur, a hole in its head that continued dripping blood, and large holes in the back and front emptied the fluids like a punctured barrel of water, almost like a cartoon character. Except cartoons never left the smell of blood and gunpowder in the wake of their, usually comedic, shootouts.

"That's a member of the Haryo tribe. It has to be." Dennis breathed out after a few seconds.

She... it...wasn't exactly like Bouro as it had two eyes and far more fur, but it was clearly a shapeshifter.

Tom turned to Alex, saying "Radio it in... Captain should... be informed... Lord Almighty..."

He shakily crossed himself.

Alex quickly went back upstairs, Sean turning to Dennis, glancing at the lifeless body nearby, then back to the young Ranger.

Dennis didn't move his eyes from the blood and focused on the smell of gunpowder.

"It's okay... it's okay..." he said aloud, trying to comfort the shaking child as well as himself.

An image of his mom doing the same for him when he was her age shot into his mind, and he suppressed his own worries out of necessity.

He couldn't afford to break now.

11:33 AM

"You alright?" Rhodes asked then, having arrived from a simple patrol alongside the other Rangers in the Capital.

Dennis was sitting outside the hideout, staring into nothing.

He didn't reply right away, still holding the little girl, who appeared to have fallen asleep.

"I asked you if you're alright."

"I-I'm fine, captain... just a little... a little shaken... ears are still ringing a bit, but I'm fine!" he added quickly.

Had the hideout not been nearly deserted the damage could have easily resulted in casualties, but given the kid's reaction, she may have been a casualty already.

Rhodes allowed a pained expression as he tried to say something, but Dennis said "We need to find out if Bouro or... or someone ordered this... right?"

Rhodes nodded, slowly.

Nervously, Dennis turned to the little girl, not moving from where he sat, Sean, approaching with the winged woman.

"You good to walk?" he whispered, forcing a smile as the little girl's eyes fluttered open.

Charlotte didn't say anything.

Misery asked, "She's unhurt?"

Dennis only replied by frowning slightly, unsure.

Misery got closer and asked "Little one?"

Charlotte only turned shakily to the winged woman, who offered her hand.

The little girl pulled away from Dennis and ran to Misery.

Sean said, "Misery, about-"

"We're not abandoning our homes just yet, American... but I do think we should begin sending the children away... clearly it's not safe here, and for once we have the option to leave."

"Exactly."

Dennis didn't say anything.

"You should be happy you gave the children here an opportunity..."

Still no reply.

"It's more than I ever had... come along, little one."

Charlotte followed the woman closely, not looking back.

Sean said "Hey... with her out of the way we can focus on other things, right? End things sooner."

"Yeah..." came the tired reply as Dennis stood up.

He didn't speak as Rhodes gave orders, only half-listening.

While he doubted that Tyuule knew and said nothing, whether Bouro knew and said nothing was a different matter. He needed to ask, because their presence in the capital had been well hidden from the Empire, and if the crime lords hadn't betrayed them, then there was only one reason the Haryo were there.

The question is, how far did they go?

"Alright, see what you can find out, alright? Sean, keep an eye on him, if we need to extract, we do it."

Dennis only gave an affirmative nod.

He didn't speak more than he had to as Sean escorted him back.

He only looked at his arm to check the time on his watch to remember he wasn't carrying his wristwatch.

Why am I so distracted?

He finally said, "I'll see if I can word back to you guys by tonight."

"Take care."

"Yeah, watch yourself..."

He shook his head, reminding himself where he was, noticing the older praetorian was eyeing him, he moved to his room. Once there he closed the door and sat down on his bed, where he refused to move for a moment before eventually collapsing on his side and falling asleep.

He woke up with a start seconds later.

He couldn't sleep.

Not after all of that.

The ideas circling in his mind, the possibilities and potentials that could have happened.

Dennis couldn't think about them all, yet in the silence of his room, he had no choice.

He briefly considered stepping outside but chose against it.

I can handle this... I qualified... I qualified...

The image of his smiling parents briefly flashed in his mind, a dark reminder of his situation.

His jaw clenched, but he forced himself to sit up and glare at the walls, knowing exactly what he would do once he got access to a certain tribal leader and supposed ally.

6:00 PM

Dennis's eyes finally moved to the small "window" in his room.

The shadows were beginning to overtake the light of the sun, and soon he would have to light some candles, but as the room continued to darken, he decided to do his job there and then. Odds were, the monster knew about his presence already, and presumably could feel his own mind in a way, so he decided to try and see if he would respond.

Gritting his teeth, he quietly said "Bouro... get out here..."

He waited for a second... half wondering if he would need to call it again or storm out and cause a scene.

"Yes?"

The voice quickly came from behind him, and his immediate reaction was to whirl around, grab the creature with both arms and slam him into the wall with as much strength as he could muster.

"W-what is the meaning of-?" it began, but Dennis only grabbed the Colt and flipped its safety off with an audible *click*, keeping it steady on hand, aimed at the floor, finger off the trigger, but more than ready to make that change should he desire it. He wasn't stupid enough to aim the weapon at the thing he needed to question... not yet, at least.

"What... happened?" Dennis asked in a calm tone, though Bouro could sense nothing but a danger in the young man's voice that made his own blood run cold.

"W-what?" he managed to reply.

"Tell me what happened today."

"I was not here. I was with lady Tyuule and the Emperor observing the new generals!"

"Oh, how convenient..."

"Soldier, what is the meaning of this?"

"You shapeshifting lot... you think you can betray us?"

"I-I don't understand."

"I'm sure you don't..."

Dennis listened to the voice for a few seconds, trying to judge if it was honest or not.

He couldn't.

Knowing it didn't really matter anymore, he released the creature and holstered his weapon.

"Go. Find out what happened and explain to me why it happened."

Bouro steadied himself, staring at the American in confusion.

"Just find out what happened... my superiors need to know as soon as possible... please..." he added weakly.

Bouro stood up and slowly said "Of course... I will... I will look into... whatever happened."

"You have until tomorrow morning."

With that the creature vanished, leaving Dennis alone in the darkening room.

He hated it.

He hated it all.

You should be happy you gave the children here an opportunity.

"I didn't... I didn't... do anything..." he whispered to himself, the words carrying deeper connections than he had intended.

As the shadows began to darken further, Dennis sat on the bed, shakily covering his face as he suppressed the urge to scream as he began to play the events of his life in his head.

I didn't do anything when my dad died... I didn't do anything when mom died... I haven't done...

He hadn't allowed himself to grieve. Too busy with becoming the supposed war hero his father would have wanted to become once.

But he hadn't.

He hadn't been a war hero, saving civilians and pushing back enemy forces, he had killed and shot his way through countless men who couldn't even shoot back. He hadn't saved any civilians; he had just killed those who would have likely not caused a problem if he wasn't there, to begin with. He hadn't heroically stopped the leader of the enemy nation; he had allowed him to continue abusing a girl who had quickly become the one person...

The thought stopped there, and he covered his face.

He was on the verge of breaking down when footsteps from outside stopped him as they reminded him, he wasn't back home and he could die at any moment.

It was an odd sensation.

Exhaustion and a sense of want he couldn't act on.

Like a good soldier, he swallowed his grief once more, and after some effort, he managed to relax. The sound of the grenade going off reminded him of how he had nearly died to the inhuman creatures that invaded Itálica, had it not been for a mortar round landing nearby. He knew the memories would, unfortunately, remain, forcing him to think about them against his will, but it didn't have to affect how he acted, and it most certainly didn't have to affect his mission performance.

I can handle this... I qualified...

He didn't sleep, repeating it to himself.

May 1st, 1964

Imperial Capital

9:00 AM

"Numb" was probably the most accurate way to describe how he felt, but it wasn't entirely accurate, either.

Dennis Orville slowly chopped up the vegetables, slowly pushed them on another plate, slowly took it to Chef Kelvin... and didn't react when the man slapped it to the floor.

"Again!" came the frustrating order.

Dennis didn't react to it, only turning back and starting over.

Clef on the other hand looked confused.

"Is something wrong with you on this particular day, son of Tobias?"

Dennis swallowed down his emotions, quickly turning and saying "No, sir."

The old man wasn't buying it, saying "You look out of it."

I am out of it...

Instead, he said "I guess I feel a little under the weather, but it's nothing I can't handle. Thank you for your concern."

He could feel all the eyes in the kitchen turning to stare at him.

The chef walked over, an almost disgusted expression on his face as he asked "If it's nothing you can't handle then why are you being less efficient?!"

Leave me alone already, you fat, barbaric, ass!

Instead, he said, "Apologies, I'll-"

The chef took the knife from his hand and shoved him away.

"Scram! Go do whatever it is you do in your free time!"

"Sir?"

"I'm giving you the day off, brat! I don't know what's wrong with you, but you are not going to ruin this night's dinner! You won't get paid for today, understood?!"

"Y-yes, sir..."

Thus, Dennis found himself sitting under a lonely tree in the gardens. The cool shade barely made an impact on the feelings of coldness that were plaguing him now, and neither did the grass he was sitting in poking past his kitchen uniform and occasionally jabbing at his skin.

His mind not really thinking of anything as he stared at the green grass, and then at the sky, and then at the tree behind him.

Same as back home...

He shook his head then, a memory of his mother happily waiting for him at the front porch, him enjoying a hot summer day by playing at a makeshift "pool" his mother had set up for him using a large tin and the garden hose being the intrusive thought that distracted him. Their house is pretty far from everything meant that he had to spend some days on his own, which wasn't a problem for the most part, and the happy memories had indeed been genuine, as had his mother's laugh.

However, as if to torment him further, he couldn't help but remember how loud his mother had screamed when news of his father's death arrived.

Why didn't I scream when she died?

Again, he shook his head, harder this time, forcing himself to bury the thoughts and memories away, the possibility of becoming vulnerable in enemy territory only adding to his resolve. He knew the time for screaming and all of that would come later, Mister Jones had guaranteed it, and despite not wanting to admit the older man was right, Dennis could only imagine how much he would need to "let out" once he was back home.

If I get back home...

Still, he resolved to stay calm and he managed to relax yet again. The effort becoming easier as time went on. But his regrets were still ever-present, and he couldn't avoid thinking about it.

Suddenly sensing someone behind him, he got up and angrily yelled "WHAT?!"

Bouro took a step back, hiding behind the opposite side of the tree.

"I only wish to apologize... I discovered it was one of my underlings who attacked your hideout..."

"We figured that out once we saw the disgusting, subhuman face you animals wear. The question is why she did it and whether or not you knew about it..." he added, darkly.

"No one can know why she did it. I did not know she planned this either. I did not intend for it to happen, nor did I order it. Kucy... she was acting on her own."

Silence.

"You can believe me or not, Orville, but we in the Haryo tribe... what's left of it... we value honor. I have no intention of betraying your people or Tyuule."

Dennis relaxed somewhat, saying "Doesn't matter if you do or not, we're stuck with you. And I have a commitment to her as well..."

There was an eerie silence then, all noise drowned out as the wind stopped and all animals nearby stopped their singing or chirping.

Bouro asked "Perhaps you should go back. The queen can handle this on her own, and-"

"Oh, you think I can't handle this?" he asked in what almost sounded like a chuckle as if mocking the statement.

"I never implied such a thing."

"Yeah? Well, listen here and listen well, I qualified, alright? I qualified where others didn't. I made it here, I didn't die, so don't tell me to call it quits now... okay?!" he spoke with a tone that implied madness, anger, and fear all at the same time; his voice cracking as he finished his inquiry.

Now it was Bouro who fell silent.

"Okay?!" Dennis repeated, anger refusing to dissipate.

Bouro briefly revealed himself, showing his one working eye, a disgusting, yellowish-green filled with what Dennis could only assume was pus and other signs the creature could barely see. Dennis didn't look away, staring at him without blinking.

Something about the eyes screamed that the creature was looking down on him, but neither of the two spoke for a moment.

Bouro finally said "Okay." in plain English and vanished into the shade like a chameleon.

Dennis remained on guard as he faintly heard the footsteps walking off in the grass, finally wincing when he felt a pang of pain on his palms.

Looking at his hands, he realized he'd buried his nails into his palm hard enough to cause it to bleed slightly.

Immediately he covered it up, eyes wide.

He nervously swallowed, as if realizing that he really did have a problem.

He sat back down against the tree and began to take deep breaths, doing his best to relax and ignore the echoes of the past.

He couldn't show it wasn't working.

What did work, were Bouro's facial muscles as they formed a mocking sneer.

The shapeshifter grinned, relishing in the emotional suffering of the American as well as the fact that his plan had, while not entirely succeeded, done enough to frighten the Americans.

Dennis would report back, the Americans would believe Bouro was still on their side, and that would be it.

Even without killing anyone, the toll of the battle had clearly taken a toll on the young man, which would make him less effective and less of a problem moving forward.

Now he had to focus on Tyuule, and with a grin, he continued with his plan.

10:00 PM

There was a serenity in it, he decided then.

"Aye... wood... Lie-eek-"

"Like. Lie, and a -Kuh- sound..."

Tyuule nodded, and in plain English, read "I... would... like... to know where the rest-room is."

"Excellent," Dennis muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"Ah... you're a terrible teacher." she sighed, stretching, smiling with an almost smug expression.

If she was a man, he would have cursed her out, but the more he looked at her...

He stayed silent.

She noticed something was bothering him, so she said "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for, I'm not exactly a language teacher, I'm a soldier."

She frowned, saying "Well, clearly you're upset about something. If it's not my mispronunciations... does my presence bother you today?"

He turned to look at her, tiredness in his eyes as he noticed new bruises on her neck.

"No. Trust me, you being here is..." he forced a smile which faded immediately.

He turned away, unable to look at her now.

"Your presence doesn't bother me at all... I don't mean to give that impression, ma'am."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Then why do you seem so out of it?"

"You don't know?" he asked her.

"Don't know what?"

"About the attack near our base?" he spoke in a low whisper.

Tyuule winced in surprise, saying "No, I hadn't heard anything about an attack."

"Doesn't Bouro tell you everything?"

She awkwardly said, "I haven't seen him today... the emperor was... busy with me."

Dennis briefly glanced at her thigh, noting the bruised skin, and he clenched his jaw, but quickly relaxed it.

He only said, "Oh, I see... so you haven't seen him since yesterday?"

"No... was anyone killed?"

Dennis only shook his head.

"Hurt then. Do... do you need a healer?"

"Nah, we're fine. In case he lies about it, apparently one of Boro's people went rogue for some reason. She used a grenade against us. We killed her before she could do any damage, and that was that."

She noticed the way he spoke was not unlike the reserved tone in those who were in mourning. Her frown subsided and she softened her tone.

"No one died?"

At this, the American only nodded again.

Tyuule noted the forlorn look in his eyes and connected the dots on her own.

"Then... why are you so... shaken?"

He huffed, almost laughing, saying "Shaken?"

She didn't reply, knowing he knew what she was getting at.

"I'm fine, just... brought up some bad memories is all. I'm fine..." he said, trying not to lie but not tell her everything just yet.

Tyuule didn't say anything, realizing what he was talking about.

Time passed, neither speaking.

Dennis eventually swallowed, saying "Alright... read the next line..."

The girl turned back to the table, a look of indifference returning.

I can't let him distract me... it's just how it is... if he's troubled then it isn't my problem to help him.

"Alright."

Dennis instead took the opportunity to observe her.

She really was beautiful the more he looked at her.

Wait... no... don't think like... that...

He couldn't stop looking at her as she slowly read the line in the book aloud, nor did he care to stop after everything. Why shouldn't he? What payment was he getting for all of this, anyway?

Okay, no, do NOT think like that!

With some willpower, he managed to turn his attention to his hands on the table.

Tyuule then said, "I don't mind if you watch me."

He slowly turned to look at her.

She took the chance to make eye contact and ask "Are you sure you're unhurt?"

He forced a smile, saying "Yeah, I'm alright. Just a little tired is all. Chef gave me the day off, but I didn't really have anything to do, so I'm just tired from walking aimlessly all day."

Tyuule frowned, saying "You could have visited me. I wouldn't mind."

Don't tempt me.

Dennis only chuckled slightly, saying "I know how busy you are, managing things, keeping our little alliance a secret... you're... amazing." he admitted, trying to sound positive.

Maybe overcompensating a touch.

Tyuule, however, couldn't help but widen her eyes at the praise.

Dennis continued, though, saying "I could never do what you do... honestly... I'd probably just lose it... crack up and..."

Lose it all and gain nothing.

He swallowed, realizing in how vulnerable a spot he was, and knowing damn well that he had to reign himself in until the mission was over.

But it was like he was aimlessly pushing on for something that no longer existed, and it was weighing more and more on him as he continued.

Is it even worth it?

Tyuule stared at him.

Finally, she frowned and decided to intervene.

"Dennis?"

"Ah?"

"Go to bed."

Dennis tiredly asked, "Why?"

She placed a hand on his forehead, saying "You're exhausted, maybe even feverish. You're not getting enough sleep."

"I-I can't sleep." he blurted out, the dam bursting just a bit.

"What?"

"I-I can't sleep! Every night for the past week I keep getting these... these..."

"Night terrors?" she finished for him.

He froze, staring at her crimson eyes that didn't seem to be judging him or even suggesting any emotions other than some concern for his wellbeing. As if she knew he couldn't fully open up about such issues because of the mission.

So, he only nodded shakily.

She said, "Go to bed."

"I-"

"My father had night terrors for some time after fighting an enemy tribe... I think I can help you here."

What?

"W-?"

"Don't ask stupid questions, I need you to function properly, right? And I won't do anything inappropriate so go on and get in bed."

"But how do you plan on-?"

"Question not!"

He blinked, still unsure.

Tyuule groaned, saying "My people have a song to soother those who have trouble sleeping. I'll hum it for you and see if it helps."

So... a lullaby?

Dennis stared at her with some degree of disbelief.

"Would you believe me if I told you our ability to hear better makes it easier for our songs to soothe?"

The same look of disbelief, although it seemed to have relaxed and gone down to mild skepticism.

She still didn't like it.

"Don't look at me like that, we both know what nightmares can do to the mind if not kept in check, so don't try to play tough, alright?"

Silence.

Neither spoke for a moment.

With a breath, Dennis spoke then.

"I'm... not playing tough."

"Splendid, then doing this shouldn't be too difficult, now should it?"

Dennis eyed her for another moment.

There wasn't much levity in her voice, so either she was a far greater actress than he gave her credit for, or she was dead serious.

He sighed and stood up, asking "What is it like a magical thing?"

"No, it's a... family... thing..."

He paused, considering it for a second.

What else did he have to lose?

"Alright..." he groaned as if she were pulling him along and he was just going along with it.

Tyuule ignored it, pulling her chair closer to his bed.

This is just to make sure he doesn't become a liability. Nothing more...

She crossed her arms, saying "Close your eyes, and try to sleep, alright?"

"...alright..." the American sighed.

Tyuule waited a moment, noting the young man's breathing had eased and relaxed.

She knew he wasn't asleep yet, but was at least comfortable. She then took a breath and began to hum the notes she remembered. Softly, to not disturb his sleep, as the lullaby was meant for warriors returning from war to their families, but he didn't have to know that. It had no words or anything as it was but a simple melody that reciprocated the feelings of the melancholy of those coming home, the same but not quite as she heard her mother hum to her father and at least once to her older brother.

Dennis felt his eyes shoot open at the melody but he didn't dare turn to look at her.

It was slow, hummed softly, though with perhaps a touch of apprehension, as if this was something the girl found almost childish, but he didn't care.

It was as if it transported him back in time.

Back to the safety of home, the warmth of his small family...

"Steve, I know you signed up for this, but-"

"But nothing. Tommy fought the fascists in Normandy, no reason I can't fight the commies in that God-forsaken peninsula." the young man in a military uniform replied with a half confident smile.

Then, noticing the young woman didn't appear any better, he gently placed his hand on her cheek, saying "Darling, if they taught me anything is that worrying doesn't help any. I'll write to you and this little bundle every day, I promise!"

Reassuring...

Turning to him and messing his hair, his father said "I need you to be tough, kiddo. Think you can do that for me?"

The intrusive thought was obviously his own, his mind remembering the last time he saw his father. The man was obviously older than he was when he went off to war, already in his twenties.

Dad went off to Korea at the start in 1950... came back in a coffin about a year later.

Dennis didn't remember the exact casualty count or if he'd even heard it.

All he remembered was the talk about American forces being pushed back alongside other UN troops, and how there was a supposedly major operation to land soldiers in the Korean Peninsula. He remembered his mother happily reading to him a letter or two, his father having landed somewhere back in September, around the same time he had gone to school.

Dennis only knew that the war had gone sideways from the start, with the communists winning unbelievable victories early on, only to be just as quickly driven back to the brink just before they received reinforcements from a certain power even further north... then the stalemate.

For years the fighting continued, his dad dying sometime in the early days.

He didn't know much about it.

Hell, how could he? He wasn't there.

Even with everything he had seen now, he wasn't sure how bad his father had it.

The enemy he had been fighting didn't have guns or tanks.

The feeling of helplessness returned with a vengeance.

Why fight?

Why bother?

Nothing left, right?

He shut the intrusive thoughts away, focusing on the soft hum that gave him a feeling of nostalgia. A distraction, certainly not a cure, but a distraction. He slowly allowed his tired mind to relax, let his guard down. At least that much he could do, trusting the girl behind him. His closed eyes relaxed as the soft tune continued to guide him away from his jumbled-up mind and into a calming rest before finally drifting off into an eventless unconscious.

Tyuule took a breath, and stopped humming, noticing the American had fallen asleep and even humming the familiar hymn having spurred pained memories from her past.

She leaned over to the American.

The soldier breathed softly as if the task of heavy breaths was not worth the effort after such a long time exerting himself.

She felt the presence sneak in then, and she froze.

"Attached?"

"Forgot to tell me of the attack?"

Bouro sighed, frustrated.

"Perhaps you were too busy enjoying the show?" she asked darkly.

"Forgiveness, m-"

"Did you at least purge the traitors from your midst?" she groaned.

"Yes, yes, I did that already... though his friends did most of the work after killing Kucy. If anyone isn't loyal to me now, they're gone entirely."

"Good."

"Majesty, what are you doing exactly?"

"What business is it of yours, Bouro?" she asked, her crimson eyes giving the creature a piercing look.

Bouro was far past the point of caring, but not past the point that he knew not to be cautious.

"Majesty, why are you spending time here? Do you intend to flee once this is all over?"

Tyuule didn't reply, though Bouro noted that she seemed to shrink at the accusation.

He smiled grimly.

"Be mindful of what you ask, Bouro... now, what word do you bring?"

"Several Americans pushed into the Kingdom of Elbe, from what my spies can gather, they located the Fire Dragon's nest and managed to destroy it. And if Tiberius refuses to surrender, the same fate will befall him very soon."

"And then they march on the capital?"

"No, actually. It seems that they plan to wait for Zorzal to go against them."

"Hmm... Good."

She stood up, giving Dennis another glance.

She frowned, an inquisitive expression on her face as she paused before opening the door.

Bouro brought her out of her thoughts, saying "Majesty, perhaps you should recommend he return home. He's distracting you from-"

"What's wrong with a little distraction?"

Bouro fell silent.

Tyuule continued, "My goal is to destroy this empire... that is first and foremost why I live now... he's a tool for that purpose and he is serving well enough. There is nothing wrong with me spending time with him to make sure he stays in line."

"Oh, is that it?"

Tyuule didn't reply, opening the door and shutting it behind her.

She felt her nails dig into her palms as the urge to stay in that room suddenly came over her.

It was a feeling of safety unlike anything she'd felt before even though it wasn't safe at all should Zorzal suspect something or should the nosy cooks suddenly decide they wanted to visit the young man in the middle of the night.

Still...

Her face reddened as she wondered if the possibilities had things been different.

Maybe... they can?

Dumas Mountain Range

11:00 PM

"Sire, at this rate-"

"I know, I know...if the plants continue dying, we'll lose much of our concealment... and food."

Tiberius angrily stared at the sky above.

No longer did it shine exclusively with stars or the moon.

Now there were the enemy aircraft, slow, low, and fast-moving, patrolling their newfound territory in the sky.

He didn't dare send his dragons after them. The largest of the American aircraft appeared to love dropping those flares that lit up the entire forest.

He turned to the table then and asked "How many catapults do we have?"

"Twenty, and the ballistae you ordered have been constructed, as well as their spears. The problem now is reaching them."

"Of course. They light the forest up at night... they just might see us in the day..."

He observed the hastily drawn map, noting how far the enemy had gone in such a short time.

"...alright, I have an idea... but it's all or nothing."

His men listened intently and nodded with determination visible in their eyes.

Their lives had always been thrown away, why should that change now?

May 2nd, 1964

6:00 AM

Dennis felt awake before he opened his eyes, which was... refreshing.

When he did, he slowly sat up, looking around the empty room.

The table was still filled with the books he'd been showing Tyuule the previous night, the radio was still hidden away, the candle had been put out the night before, the only source of light now being from the orange glow of the early morning sky of another world.

"Tyuule?" he asked aloud.

Idiot, she's got other things to do...

He shook his head, standing up and grabbing the books, and placing them back into the leather bag.

Guess that lullaby wasn't a joke...

He gripped the leather bag tightly.

He was still alone, the unwanted memories remained, and he didn't want to be there anymore, but now, for once...

He relaxed.

He grabbed the radio and flipped it on.

"Stalker 1, this is Trojan. Still alive?"

"Trojan, this is Stalker 1, still alive. All good?" came the equally tired reply.

"Yeah, all good."

Orders... follow orders... no problem with that.

But now he had another goal in addition to his present mission.

Staring darkly at the rising sun, the damned echo from back home rang in his mind.

You'll lose it all, and gain nothing!

His jaw clenched.

Not yet.

He had a new goal in mind, and one he intended to see through or at least try everything to see it through. He had considered it, not so much as a certainty but as a far-off possibility, but now it was a goal to reach no matter the cost.

I'm gonna marry her.

7:33 AM

Tyuule walked alongside Zorzal with an indifferent expression as she read the report she had happily falsified once the Rose Knights had gone, reading it now that the time was right.

"It seems the Rose Knights faced no opposition all the way to Itálica, though it's too early to tell if this claim of the enemy having retreated is entirely true."

Part of her wanted to egg Zorzal on even more, but she knew the generals were managing to reign him in just enough to remind him that he wasn't omniscient. Tyuule needed to show that she was capable of admitting that her information wasn't entirely accurate as mistakes could be made... but not to the point that Zorzal would think the false reports were false.

Zorzal only said "An acceptable feat. I always thought those girls would prove their worth! Now we know we can strike! Clearly, the enemy saw their number and decided to pull back. Now we can strike!"

Tyuule smiled sweetly.

"Your genius knows no bounds, majesty."

Fool...

As they walked through the courtyard, Tyuule couldn't help but notice some nearby bushes were moving about.

Huh... is that-?

Before the thought could even finish formulating in her mind, a figure rushed out of the woods and sped towards her faster than any normal person, and immediately, Tyuule recognized the stance.

That's-!

She quickly turned and raised her hands to protect herself, the assassin not caring for it as she leaped up in the air instead of just crashing into her.

Then Tyuule saw the knife.

Her eyes widened and she froze in place as she recognized the movements and attack pattern as death charged towards her faster than any Imperial Soldier ever could.

A part of her mind was more than happy to accept her fate.

Another part of her was conflicted.

She hadn't fully guaranteed her people's safety yet, and this here was clear evidence not all survivors of her small nation were under American territory.

She also hadn't killed the man next to her, who just now was turning around to see the fast-moving shadow, and her mind quickly screamed something she was sure had been shouted or pleaded out before the cry had been ignored.

I... I don't want to die now! Please-

In her hesitation and panic, she lifted her arms a little further, trying to make it so the knife didn't drive directly into her chest and ended her right there and then, maybe even avoid the knife altogether somehow.

Instead, it stabbed into her left shoulder, the blade cutting deep into the skin, but missing anything vital it could have reached if she hadn't acted.

Tyuule felt the burning sensation and yelled in pain and shock, but when she opened her eyes, she realized that her pain was nothing compared to the sheer hatred emanating from the eyes of the dark-haired warrior glaring at her, face mere centimeters apart.

"Tyuule!" the assassin cried out, swiftly moving the knife back and moving it to try and stab her again, this time to finish the job.

Tyuule froze then, staring at the hurt and fury in the eyes of the warrior.

I deserve this.

The praetorian that had been standing next to her, leaped into action, using his shield to slam the much lighter girl into the floor, his short sword already drawn he approached the girl, and then he froze as the cloak fell away to reveal the cut ears.

The ears had been cut or perhaps ripped away by a sword or a knife, but there was no mistaking their nature as she flew backward, stumbling on the landing.

Tyuule looked on in horror at the mutilated warrior as the girl began standing up with the speed of someone who had trained for this her whole life.

No... no, please stay down!

Zorzal huffed, saying "Oh, well now isn't this a surprise. A veteran of my great conquest! What a pleasure!"

The second she heard his voice, Tyuule crumbled to the floor, clutching her bleeding shoulder, staring in horror at the ground, refusing to say anything, petrified as screams and wails filled her mind again.

The warrior bunny shakily stood up, grabbing her attention once more.

I can't let her...

"D-don't-" she began to whisper, but Zorzal cut her off.

"Apologies, but... you cannot just stab my advisor like that, it's going to be very inconvenient to-"

"Shut up!" the girl screamed, lunging at him again, moving past the frozen praetorian with great ease.

Zorzal's smile did not disappear as he caught the girl with his bare hands.

Tyuule couldn't do anything but watch on as the man appeared to embrace the girl, holding her tightly as if comforting her.

Given the struggling sound that came from the warrior's mouth, Tyuule knew very well the young Emperor wasn't doing anything of the sort as she heard loud CRACKS as Zorzal began breaking the girl.

The warrior screamed and the knife fell to the floor.

Tyuule watched unblinking as the girl struggled briefly as the powerful hands quickly moved to her head, grabbing it with an iron grip that Tyuule recognized all too well.

"Sorry, but I really don't think you're the type we're looking for..." Zorzal whispered.

The Emperor's hands began forcing the girl's head to twist in a way it shouldn't, the girl barely able to fight back, her legs kicking, her arms trapped or broken, useless regardless as the man began to finish his killing.

Tyuule tried to force herself to stand up then, but couldn't.

The guards stared in awe.

Tyuule decided to try and beg.

"M-Majesty- Please-" she whimpered meekly, blood dripping down her arm as she lifted it to reach out, but too late.

-CRACK-

Tyuule gasped.

The girl's now lifeless body fell to the floor, the head twisted in a way that made it more than clear the warrior bunny was dead.

Zorzal huffed, suddenly turning to the Praetorian and yelling "Praetorian Gallus, I will overlook this gross breach of protocol and forgive your life as you SHOULD have gotten in her way... same for you, Praetorian Sulla. You both know how fast Warrior Bunnies can be..."

Finally turning to the shaking form of Tyuule, Zorzal said "Are you alright?"

Tyuule didn't speak, shakily staring at the dead body.

Zorzal shook his head, saying "Shame, I know... I thought she had escaped to Alnus, but it seems vengeance was on her mind... oh well. Go to the healer, I want you to be ready to meet with the generals again tonight, understood?"

Tyuule's eyes slowly drifted to Zorzal.

She shakily nodded and said, "Yes, your majesty."

"Good!" Zorzal said, frowning slightly at the knife the girl had carried with her, now uselessly on the floor.

He grabbed it looking it over with some bemusement, saying "Come along then, you two... the last thing I need is for another one to show up... Tyuule, when you see him, tell Bouro I want that list of all the Warrior Bunnies in the capital immediately! It's one thing to look for a concubine, it's another to look for now emboldened savages... I wonder if the Americans sent them..."

Tyuule shakily nodded but turned to look at the body as the emperor left, the two praetorians following after him without saying a word.

Through raspy breaths she covered her face, allowing hot tears to flow hiding her inner turmoil as the pain of her wound mixed with the mental and emotional pain of her cruel reality.

I swear it... I swear I'll kill him... I swear it...

A/N: Okay, so first of all, apologies for the delay. Though I don't really have a set schedule, I do like to try and keep up a "one chapter a month" rule... keyword "try". My computer broke down for a solid week in the middle of April, which limited my writing and responses to reviewers. Apologies for that.

That said, things are rapidly approaching a climax.

When I said on chapter 7's A/N that it would probably be the chapter that was "closest" to the original Gate series, I meant it.

That said, is Dennis jumping the shark here wanting to get married so soon? Actually, part of the real-life story that inspired this story was about a US Army officer marrying a Vietnamese girl after knowing her for less than a month.

Yeah, they're still happily married according to The New York Times article.

Different attitudes back in the 20th century.

Other than that, I really don't know what else to say.

Dragons?

Yeah, I know the Flame Dragons are considered a "top threat" but they're still animals at the end of the day, and no matter how armored they are, their insides would have been beyond repair after multiple hits from both artillery and rocket fire, so... yeah, sorry if it was more of an anticlimax there. Least this would effectively prove to a certain annoying goddess that these guys are at least worth working with.

Anyway, Thank you so much for reading! Remember that reviews and suggestions are greatly appreciated, especially in the character department! Hope to see you all soon!