2/06/2068 (military calendar)

Temple of Indolass, the former Confederacy of Daru'uie,

Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore

*****

Feeling the smooth marble-like wall, Fraeya Holiadon searched for any clues to a secret passage, door, or symbols that could assist them in fixing the Bridge.

While the Palatini of Orias had been at the temple grounds far longer than expected, all efforts had been focused on investigating why the Bridge wouldn't open. This gave her time to study the interior of this structure, realizing that she would have been the first in thousands of years. Based on the exterior side of the mountain, some formations could be closed off balconies, making her conclude that there was more to this place than just this chamber.

To her surprise, time had not degraded the interior, unlike most structures that were left to decay. Everything looked fresh. Dusty but fresh, almost marble-like; however, she couldn't figure out what type of marble it was.

Fraeya stopped once she felt a slight bump within the wall. She carefully double-checked that she had indeed found something. When her fingers couldn't find a bump, she started believing it was her imagination playing tricks. However, with one last slow sweep of her hand, she found what she felt before. Confirming that there was a bump within the smooth wall, she noted it in her journal. "That makes three."

"Three of what?"

The elf girl's ears perked from the unknown feminine voice; she turned and saw a woman approaching. Not just any woman, beautiful golden eyes, fair pale skin, and silk-like light blond hair. She wore slick light gray armor with golden lining and a small crystal on her upper chest. Behind her were these short but pure white feathered wings on her back. - a Valkyrie.

The Valkyrie woman stopped with a confused look and asked, "I am sorry if I scared you."

"I…, I did not know we had a Valkyrie among us." Fraeya then got a better view of the woman's armor, noticing a plate with the Templar symbol. She quickly bowed to the woman. "You are a Templar. I apologize that I did not recognize you. It is an honor to be in your presence."

She felt the woman place both hands on her shoulders and raise her back to eye level.

"Please," the Valkyrie said. "I never liked these types of formalities. Especially among friends."

Fraeya stared at the woman with confusion. While she had never met a Templar, everyone at the academy talked about them almost religiously. They are the most elite warriors of Alagore, being considered the Heart of Tekali—maintainers of the peace and protectors of the common folk. So, the stories say.

"I am sorry," Fraeya said. "At the academy, we were taught the proper mannerisms around a Templar like yourself."

"I understand, but we are not at the academy," the Valkyrie said.

"A fact I keep learning."

The Valkyrie looked over and saw Fraeya's father sitting alone. "With your father sitting over there by that thing, you must be his daughter. It was…, Fraeya, correct?"

Fraeya stood there in confusion. She couldn't help but cross her arms as she failed to recall meeting this woman. "I apologize. I do not wish to be rude, but have we met before today?"

Before the Valkyrie woman could respond, Fraeya heard her father yell the woman's name.

"Natilite, you have finally come." Raegel walked up, took the Valkyrie by the hand, and kissed it. "I was wondering when you were going to arrive."

"Still the romantic," the Natilite said. "It is nice to see you again, Reagel. I would have been here sooner, but convincing the City-States to join our cause had proven troublesome."

"As I feared and expected," Raegel said. "Did any join our cause?"

The Valkyrie held her hand up to silence Raegel. "I have lots to say, but first, I do not think your daughter remembers me."

Raegel looked toward his daughter and laughed. "My apologies. Fraeya, this is an old friend of mine, Natilite. Natilite, this is my daughter, Fraeya."

The Templar took Fraeya's hand gently and held it up with a smile. "It is nice to meet you in person finally."

Staring at the Valkyrie golden-eyes, Fraeya felt nervous and embarrassed as she was scared by this woman's confidence. The words struggled to form within her mouth.

Natilite pulled back but giggled. "I apologize if I was too forward."

"No, no," Fraeya said. "It is not that. It is nice to meet you, Natilite. How long have you two been friends?"

"Oh, a long time now, I think," Natilite said.

"It has been," Raegel said. "We met one day during a dig. If I recall, the nearby town hired you to kill me."

Fraeya's ears perked again after hearing what her father said. She then watched the valkyrie chuckle. "You tried to kill my father?"

"It was my job," Natilite said. "I remember it was yesterday. I was passing by, and the townsfolk begged me to kill this elf who was disrespecting these ruins from the old era. So, I rushed off to kill him."

"Why would you do such a thing?" Fraeya asked. She then felt her father place a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"It is okay, my daughter," Raegel said. "It is water under the bridge. You know most people do not like it when people bother the ruins. Most think they are cursed and all that."

"Well," Natilite said. "I would still agree that they are cursed, but when I found your father, I decided to spy on him and see what he was doing. Only a fool would risk their lives in exploring the orilla."

Orilla. Past civilizations, ruins, structures, legends. If the children of Alagore agreed on anything, that orilla must be forgotten and feared. What remains of it litters throughout Alagore. Some ruins lay underground, within mountains. Very rarely, some are in plain sight, either from decay or destroyed from some orlilla warfare. Fraeya learned from the academy that no one can search for anything from orlilla.

She does not understand why. Her father always said that was why he left Thali'ean, as they kept impeding his world. Why she did not know why the elves made searching for anything related to orlilla taboo, she heard plenty of stories from the professors of fools going to search for these ruins and relics. The professors said the lucky ones found nothing, while the unlucky ones were dead.

"I would agree with you," Fraeya said with a chuckle. "My father can be a fool. But I want to know what happened."

"As I watched," Natilite said. "I realized that he was not dangerous. Maybe to himself, but no one else. So, I studied him for a few days. Wondering what he was trying to do. I only showed myself once a party of orcs came."

"You fought off a party of orcs alone!? I knew valkyries were skilled warriors, but one cannot defeat a horde. And I mean no offense, a female warrior would…. I mean…, I am impressed the worst did not unfold." Fraeya placed her hands on her cheeks as she struggled to properly what she wanted to say. She felt the stress of what she wanted to say and what was the proper way to say it.

Natilite smiled and placed her hand on her sword handle. "No offense taken, as I understand. The world can be cruel and dangerous toward the weak." She then glanced away for a moment. Her smile switched from a smile to a neutral reaction before smiling again. "This is why we sharpen our skills in a lifestyle and not a profession. To deal with situations like that, to protect the people."

"Very wise," Raegel said as he approached. "You are forgetting one important detail. That you are a Templar, I think that gives you a little advantage over the rest of the world."

Natilite blushed in response. "There is that."

As the two bantered, Fraeya was shocked by what had been said. While she always wondered about her father's adventures, he had been on. The places and the people he met on the way. It never passed her that he would befriend someone from this station.

"While I am happy to see you again Natilite, I need to get back to work," Raegel said. "Please excuse me."

"I understand," Natilite replied. "We should catch up afterward."

Fraeya watched as her father walked away to continue his work. She then turned to ask the Valkyrie more questions. "So, did my father ask you to aid us?"

"Yes, he did," Natilite replied. "I was part of an advance force to secure some allies before you arrived."

The Templar then crossed her arms and started down the chamber. "So, that is your father's lifelong dream? It looks different than I expected."

Turning to face the orlilla device, she turned toward the Templar and said, "Yes, it is, and that is what everyone said."

"Interesting. And this is the device that is supposed to open this… place…. Is it called Alkae?"

"Father calls it Altaerrie."

"Altaerrie. So, that means the Lats legend is true. The home of humanity so the story says. They did come here long ago from another world. Because you are all sitting around, and it is not glowing, I assume it is not working?"

"Sadly, no, it is not," Fraeya replied. "When we put this orb into it that my father found, he thought it would activate it. But the only thing that happened was that the crystal in the center started blinking orange. It has been like that for weeks."

"Why do you think that is?" Natilite asked.

"I have no idea," Fraeya replied. "It has been very frustrating and has placed a lot of stress on my father. He had not left that spot, and I felt useless as all this was beyond me. On one hand, he made the biggest discovery in the world; on the other hand, it became a massive failure."

"I can understand that feeling."

Fraeya Holiadon clapped her hands and said, "Maybe you can go over and help."

The Templar looked at the young elf and then at her father, who was sitting on the floor, reading his piles of books. "I do not think that is a good idea."

Freya struggled to understand why this woman rejected her idea. "But…, my father needs you. You two are old friends who helped him in his research."

"Being a bodyguard does not mean I understand anything he has done." Natilite carefully stared at Raegel, as if she was reading through the man. She then looked back towards her. "I was planning to, but honestly, I think he needs his daughter more than me right now."

Fraeya looked toward her father and thought about what she could do. She then returned to the Valkyrie; however, the woman was already leaving the chamber.

She took a deep breath and made her father's favorite tea before walking toward him. "You need a break. You will not figure this out being this exhausted."

Raegel Holiadon slammed the book shut and rubbed his eyes, clearly frustrated with the current situation. He turned and forced a smile, taking the drink. "Thank you, my dear." She watched him take a sip and was thrilled to see some enjoyment in her father's reaction.

"See. A short break can be healthy."

"That is what your mother always said," Raegel said. "She always pointed out that I was more human than elf. Always working as if I was running out of time."

A moment of silence had appeared between the two as she struggled to figure out what to reply. She remembered her mother and missed her greatly.

It was Raegel who broke the silence. "I am sorry for dragging you here. It was a mistake."

Confused by the statement, Fraeya sat down next to her father. "You did not drag me here, father; I wanted to come."

"And I should have said no. But I wanted you to be next to me during this moment. I was trying to compensate for those lost years when I was not around you and your mother. Now, I regret breaking that belief. I have failed everyone in this world. Everyone who followed me here. Failed as an explorer. But more importantly, as a husband and father."

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"No, you did not fail. Look, everyone thought you were crazy. You have proven that everything you believed was correct. A lost piece of our history."

Fraeya then looked down at the pile of books, most of which he authored. "Maybe we just missed something."

"It is possible," Raegel said. "I have been skimming through all my work and found nothing."

Noticing a dark green book, Fraeya grabbed and opened it. Seeing her father's famous note-taking ability that only he understood. "Can you show me how everything works? Maybe running through everything step by step will help?"

That is when Fraeya noticed a proud grin from her father.

"Why not," Raegel said. "If we are going to start, let's start with this one."

*****

The skylight blinded the Templar Natilite as she exited the mountain. While her sight was superior to the races who walk the ground, they are more sensitive to sunlight.

It took a moment for her valkyrie eyes to readjust, and once she regained her vision, she saw the encampment. The Lats were spread throughout what remained of the temple ruins. The Palatini of Orias, elite warriors entrusted with this mission, had fortified this place to the best of their abilities; however, she could tell they didn't plan on a siege. While their loyalty and commitment to the task were without question, she could see the lack of morale in the current situation.

Natilite couldn't blame them. The mission had turned out differently than expected, which was common in war. Only needing to take a glance at everyone, she could see the struggle with uncertainty within the palatini. For soldiers, being stagnated was a death sentence.

Before heading to the comment tent, she checked on the wounded. She had learned that officers and warrior figures like herself checking on a warrior's weakest moment usually increased morale among the rest of the troops. It showed that they cared about their lives and suffering.

Once she arrived at the medical tent, the woman healer was busy treating a sick man. From what she could see on the man's bare skin, he was hit by poison. The others were in just as bad shape.

When Natilite entered the tent, it was clear that everyone saw her presence. A sight she had grown used to. "What happened?"

The healer stood up and gave the proper mannerisms of respect to the Templar. "I was not expecting someone of your stature to come here. I apologize for how messy my tent is."

"Never apologize for treating the wounded," Natilite said. "When it comes to them, formalities come second. Now, please tell me what happened. How did they get poisoned this badly?"

"Goblins," the healer said. "They infested this place and had to force them out. These are the last three who are recovering."

"They are always full of surprises," Natilite said before approaching one of the wounded. "Yes, they are."

To the wounded legionary confusion, Natilite knelt and walked over to the injured man's bed. She took the man's hand with her left hand, and with her right, she placed it on his forehead.

With the softness of her hands, she could already see the pain and suffering leaving his eyes, not because of healing magic or medicine but solely based on her soft, feminine hands. It always shocked her how such a gentle touch from a woman could easily remove all the pain and suffering from a man's heart. A power only her sex seemed to have.

"My fellow legionary. We ask Logia to bless our fallen and protect the souls that we lost during these trying times. But we also ask for the strength to continue. I ask Tekali and all her siblings to bless this man's sacrifice and give bless that he is remembered for his deeds."

Seeing the wounded legionary eyes entering a peaceful mind, Natilite stood up and addressed the other wounded soldiers. She took her side armor plating flaps and did a form of curtsy for the men. "Thank you for honoring me with your presence. Stay true."

As the Templar left the tent, she could see the renewed spirits of the soldiers, who were most likely eavesdropping, adding some excitement from their daily taste and giving something positive and heartwarming over standing here waiting for something to happen.

With her charity work complete, Natilite headed to talk to the head Centurion of this palatini before leaving for Salva. The Valkyrie walked through the orlilla, the Temple of Indolass. She saw how rundown the place was. Broken walls, what were once considered buildings barely standing. The stone ground is broken. A place that had been lost over time. While the historian Sage would say that this place was once a thriving temple, her eyes struggled to see its present state.

The Valkyrie thought little of this place. Preferring civilization over the ruins. While the orilla had no scent, she could smell the depression, death, and history of this place. Nothing alive and warm. All reminding her of the failures that led to this path.

Based on her little time here, she could see that this place was at a disadvantage in its defense without the defensive wall. The enemy could use the high ground to rain artillery and block means of escape.

As Natilite walked through the encampment, soldiers continued to stop to show their respect. Usually a bow, a salute, or acknowledging her Templar statues. While she appreciated their gestures, she couldn't stop for every soldier. Making sure they felt honored while on this mission and that their deeds would save their future brothers.

Will save their future brothers….

As a rule, Natilite had always tried to walk the path that she spoke. But even now, it was starting to seem that their mission here might not be the saving grace they all once hoped. One of the worst parts of war was having the free time to reflect on the current situation and their surroundings. Think of all the possible outcomes and the odds. And right now, there had been plenty of time to think.

Regarding Raegel Holiadon, Natilite was thrilled that his life's work had finally come to fruition. It never crossed her mind that the story behind her cousin's race was true. She had assumed it was the excuse for the Orcs and J'avias to hate on the Lats for being more successful than they were.

Still, life achievement or not, the fact that the Bridge had not opened concerned her, and she could see it in everyone's eyes. While the men were professionals and hid their true feelings, she could read them like a book. Under any other circumstance, this discovery would have been an accomplishment of a lifetime that would have been celebrated worldwide; however, just like how it interfered with every other aspect of society, this discovery was just another casualty.

The worst part of being the man who made the most significant discovery in history would be that he would have handed it to the enemy if he had not figured out how to activate it. It was only a matter of time before the enemy finally discovered their presence, and they would quickly be swarmed without mercy. If that happened before making contact, then there was no way they could survive.

After entering the command tent, Natilite saw Centurion Fionntan Henness with his staff. While maintaining their collectiveness, she could tell there had been a tense conversation.

Stopping at the entrance, she decided to wait and respect their privacy. During her time as a Templar, she had learned when to intervene in a conversation among military folks and when not, understanding their chain of command. Being someone in her position could bring ease and tension within military and political leadership as Templars are more free agents than within their structure.

Their conversation only lasted a few more minutes. Once finished, most other officers left, leaving Henness staring at a map.

Seeing her moment, the Templar approached the table and said, "That looked intense. Everything alright?"

"Just discussing our current situation," Henness said. "How can I serve a Templar?"

"I am here to serve you." Natilite saw the centurion's confused reaction. "I have word from the City-States I visited."

"Are they on our side or not?" Henness asked.

"I was able to convince Salva, but the rest, no," Natilite said as she pointed toward the map.

"Only Salva?"

The city of Salva was not the Templar's first choice to recruit to their cause, but being the closest to the temple, it was the logical choice. They were smaller than the other major regional players within the Nevali region; it had been extended past their former glory days. While they were rundown, they still wanted to fight. Loyal to the previous region before Kallem annexed the territory.

She was impressed by their spirit and pride.

"Yes," Natilite said. "They were loyal to the old regime and hated how things were going. They are dying, and they see this as their only option."

"What about the rest?" Henness asked.

"They are firmly in Toriffa grip. The Verliance Aristocracy made sure to place loyal minions within their noble class. Apparently, Kallem has also been making promises with these people, trying to treat them more as partners than subjects. Smart of him."

"And it does not help that we are losing the war."

While Natilite was trying to avoid stating the obvious, he was correct. No one likes joining the losing side in a war. Uprising against a far superior enemy solely based on a legend is foolish. Still, she knew that she had to try.

"Maybe so; it is better than nothing," Natilite said. "It means people have not given up in this war. At least enough to put their lives on the line."

"I hope so," Henness said. "If the enemy comes before we activate the Bridge, I cannot guarantee their survival. Still, you are correct. This is a massive win for us, and I must utilize it."

"And that brings me to why I am here. I request a detachment to be sent to Salva as a show of good faith and to strengthen their defenses."

Centurion Fionntan Henness looked toward her and said, "I wish I could, but it is not wise to split my forces up. We are only a palatini, not a full cohort."

"I understand that," Natilite said. "I want you to know that in the end, I will respect your decision. But first, think about the people of Salva. They will ally with you, and you should show them the same respect. And based on the defense position I saw here, if the enemy attacks, the longer Salva holds out, the better off you are here."

She watched as Henness carefully studied the map. She could tell that the man was running through every possible situation in his mind, and based on his reaction, he was coming to the same conclusion as she did.

The centurion took a deep breath and looked at her. "You will get them."

"Thank you," Natilite said. "Now, I should head back to Salva and make further preparations. "

The two gave final gestures, and the Templar left. She took one last look at the temple and hoped it would be worth it. I decided to place faith in Tekali and wait to see how events played out.

2/08/2068 (military calendar)

Ulysses Tholus, Tharsis Montes, Mars

Olympic Base Camp

*****

Staring at the pulsing orb through the laboratory glass wall, Captain Taylor Miles wondered what the significance of this discovery was. Two were dead, one seriously wounded, with multiple other near-death personnel - all for an orb smaller than a basketball.

It had been two weeks since they found the orb, waiting for the retrieval team to return it to Earth. While modern technology had dropped the transportation time between Earth and Mars to less than a month, those few weeks felt like forever after what had happened. Everyone still felt uneasy knowing there was an unknown number of enemy machine-warrior right next to them.

From what Colonel Gallivan informed him, NASA made a public statement about the casualties, stating that they were caused by a drilling accident. Taylor Miles was not surprised by the lie, seeing that the brass was trying to get ahead of the narrative. It would keep the general population from asking too many questions, as this was not the only time this had happened in the frontier world. Outside of that, this new outpost has yet to be mentioned. The brass wanted to keep this quiet as long as possible, and he couldn't blame them.

Outside of the general public concern, there had been no issues with the other Great Powers. While it would only be a matter of time before a foreign nation noticed their activities, he was surprised there had been no noise from it. They had not seen their presence or remained quiet. Either way, he was thrilled events had been uneventful since all this began.

Since finding this alien orb, questions kept running through his head. Who built it, when did they, why was it triggered now, and dozens of others?

"Captain."

Hearing Technical Sergeant Kyomi Hata's voice from the module intercom, he pressed the button and asked, "Are they close?"

"Yes. They are in Mars orbit and are entering geosynchronous orbit. They will be ready to drop in fifteen."

"Roger," Miles said before he switched the intercom to the research laboratory. "Start securing the object for extraction."

The American and Japanese scientists took the pulsing orb from the containment glass box and moved the object into a sealed personal-size container. Once confident they had fulfilled all safety protocols, they brought it to the decontamination transfer section. The red light turned green after a short defection spray over the container.

"Alright, sir, the package is ready to go."

Miles grabbed the container and headed out of the laboratory module. Waiting outside were two Marines who were meant to be his security. To his surprise, he barely felt any weight. Most of it came from the container and not from the object inside.

As the three walked through the compound, to his surprise, Tactical Sergeant Kyomi Hata approached. Since the attack, she had wanted to stay away from the alien sphere as she barely survived her encounter with the humanoid machine.

"Finally getting out of the shell?" Miles jokingly asked.

"I was getting cooped up," Hata replied. "Besides, I wanted to ensure this little Akuma was gone once and for all."

"I would say those things inside the facility were Akuma's," Miles replied jokingly.

"You have a point," Hata said. "When are we going back in?"

"We will be going back inside the mountain of the gods once we get reinforcements from Earth and the proper equipment," Miles looked up as he was informed that the space capsule was incoming. From what he could tell, it was an Aether-class capsule. It was expected to use them to land on almost any celestial body with low gravity or local transportation between stations. Even with Mars's low gravity, landing and launching independently was still beyond the capsule's ability without being heavily modified.

Up within the heavens, they saw a very familiar sight. A small fireball fell from the sky and headed to their position. For anyone who has been to Mars, this was a well-known moment, known as the six minutes of terror. Going twelve thousand miles a second until they reached the surface was considered the journey's most dangerous and terrifying.

The space capsule's thrusters ignited while its three parachutes popped out from its top as it descended. As it drew closer, the Martian-rusted dust turned into a miniature dust ball, sweeping the surrounding area.

Everyone was in spacesuits, so none of them were in any danger from the outside hazards of this world. Still, they couldn't help but raise their hands to protect themselves from the dust storm. While Miles could barely see through the dust, he saw the craft touched down a short distance away.

"Talk about an entrance," Hata said. "Never thought I would be in the thick of it. We just broke five safety regulations."

"Actually, it's four," Miles replied as the dust settled.

"No, it was five. I read the book on the flight here from Luna."

"Of course you did."

The dust started to dissipate, and four figures could be seen exiting the capsule.

"Let's go," Miles said.

The two Marines took point, providing security as the four walked toward the four CIA operatives. Three operatives approached while one stayed by the spacecraft, acting as a rear guard.

Miles saw that the operatives were also armed as they drew closer. P52's, he assumed. Almost as if they were expecting something.

Once they got closer, Taylor Miles could see their suits' network signal. He connected to their frequency and said, "Welcome to Mars."

"Captain Miles, I assume," Nelson said.

"That is correct."

The two groups finally met. However, each armed guard kept their fingers on the triggers, watching their superior talk.

"Surprised how armed you all are," Miles said. "Expecting something?"

"Shouldn't I be?" Nelson asked. "I heard reports that you had three MIA's. That is a red flag I do not like. RIA? CCP? Zhongguo? It wouldn't surprise me if it were the WEL, India, or my grandmother."

Taylor Miles was about to respond with a correction; however, he stopped himself, a fact that Nelson did not miss. Based on the Commander's statement, the operative was unaware of what happened within the alien facility and probably assumed that the drilling accident was a convenient cover story. The CIA commander knew something had happened and was taking no risks.

"We had a situation; however, it was handled," Miles replied. "I am under direct orders from Space Command not to give further details."

"I understand," Nelson said. "The package?"

Miles lifted the container, staring at it, wondering what ripple effects this would have. The only thing he knew was that this was the beginning of something. Something that he hoped his people would be ready for.

Nelson took the container and quickly lifted it, staring at it. "It is lighter than I expected."

"That is what I said," Miles replied.

Nelson smirked and nodded. "Alright, our business is done."

And just like that, the three operatives turned and walked toward their capsule.

"That was freaky," Hata stated. "It felt like one of those cowboy movies."

"They're called Westerns," Miles corrected.

"Same thing."

He watched as the operatives entered their space capsule. Soon enough, the Aether thrusters ignited, lifting back toward the heavens. He was surprised it didn't need any additional thrust or fuel to get back into orbit, assuming it was heavily modified for whatever it needed.

The dust cloud re-emerged from the ignition blast, engulfing the four of them. Hearing from Kyomi that they should get out of the mini dust storm, he agreed, and the four started heading back to the camp.