“To the Council. This is Kallem, High Lord of the Verliance Aristocracy of the House of Verliance. I am regretful to share that Priestess Erada of your temple has been murdered by the Altaerrie within the walls of Forlace.
A few days ago, my Knights were able to capture an enemy officer, and he was brought here for questioning. It is still unknown how the prisoner was freed; either by himself but more likely a resistance member from the old Balam regime or, more likely, an agent from the Frumentarii or Arcani within my ranks learned of the prisoner – since we can confirm that Hispana were the ones who sent a Palatini to open the Bridge. The enemy officer then entered my Royal Armory within the Fortress City.
I was in the room with the Priestess, discussing the new enemy weapons. I believe that he personally came to the armory to find his equipment. There was an encounter, and the Altaerrie officer regretfully killed the Priestess with his knife, and I was wounded by a third party, ambushing me during our struggle. While I cannot confirm, as I did not visually see the enemy spy, this implies that an enemy agent did support the Altaerrie.
I have already made preparations to search for the murderer and, if discovered, will be sent to Mount Orlatus for transportation to Torllopus if that is what the Council desires. I continue to prepare my Empire for this new emerging war. This situation heavily states the importance of preventing the Altaerrie and the Coalition from making contact. From the recent reports, the Altaerrie had conducted a counterattack against my forces, with minor gains. My soldiers have prevented an outbreak, maintaining a containment zone until additional reinforcement arrives.
I currently stand at Forlace to await judgment from the Council for allowing a Priestess of the Temple of Enlightenment to be murdered in such a manner. I will not stay forever as I wish to join my armies and push the Altaerrie back through the Bridge. Regardless of my punishment, I desire for a new Priestess and reinforcements to show our strength and the protection of the Verliance Aristocracy.
For the Katra, allow it to show the path to a new age.” – High Lord Kallem Verliance to the Unity of Cordinlane Torllopus- Palonpulas Council
March 12th, 2068 (Military Calendar)
Forest of Rostham, Western Frontier, Yuplenia Mountain Range, Verliance Aristocracy
Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore
*****
As Natilite stared forward while riding on top of the second JLTV, she couldn't help but lose focus and wonder if it was too late.
The Farian woman, Ar'lya, was correct. While the alternate route was risky, it had paid off. Getting through the goblin-infested tunnel had proven valuable as the three teams bypassed many Aristocracy outposts. Still, they had only recently left the occupied section of Nevali and entered the western frontier of the Aristocracy homeland. They have yet to learn where Ryder was. Reports from the local Adventures Guilds state they were chasing two Lat fugitives with a trail of corpses. However, that news stopped days ago after finding five dead bodies near an empty cave. She also had to remind herself that maybe those two Lats were not the people they were looking for, meaning the Comanche Captain could still be in Forlace or worse. If so, the mission was a failure.
The armored car suddenly shook as the vehicle drove over a small ditch on the dirt road, causing the Templar to grab the roof railing to stabilize herself.
"Are you okay?" Ford asked as he spoke through TEAMCOM.
Natilite adjusted the headset that Comacnhe gave her and said, "Yes. It gets bumpy up here, but I can handle it. I wouldn't mind a comfy seat, though."
"Sorry about that," Ford said. "I'll try to catch them before I drive over them."
"It is okay; I understand." Natilite wished she could sit comfortably within the JLTV with everyone else and enjoy their banter; however, with her wings, she knew they wouldn't fit in inside or at least not be comfortable. "The price to be able to fly."
"What was that?" Ford asked.
"Nothing," Natilite replied over the radio, realizing she spoke louder than she thought.
The Templar stared at the morning sun. Along with their cosmic star, Father Dorash, was one of the Teklai moons raising over the horizon—Thrice—the God of Forging and Crafting. Its silver surface reflected the sun's rays, which blinded the Valkryie. With the sunrays, she put on the sunglasses the Americans gave her. Seeing the moon rise, she found it beautiful.
As the Valkyrie gazed, she felt the vehicle suddenly stop. She then saw Higgins rushing from the JLTV and ran toward the forward vehicle where the Warrant Officer was. To her confusion, she hopped down and turned to Ford. "Why did we stop?"
Ford said, "Higgins requested that we stop, and King said to stay inside the JLTV."
"Luckily, I never was inside one." Natilite then approached the forward vehicle to see what was going on. She could see the Airman talking to the unit-acting CO.
"What is happening," Natilite asked.
Higgins turned with excitement in his eyes. "I think the Redcoats found him."
The news only left the Templar speechless as she was unprepared to hear it. Almost as if her ears were lying to her or that this was a sick joke. However, based on Higgins's stone, the Airman believed in what he said, installing a new sense of hope.
Rommel King leaned out the vehicle window and said, "Higgins, is he okay?"
"No idea," Higgins said. "Their drone picked up his transponder seven minutes ago, though. The signal is about eight kilometers south of here."
"Can we establish radio contact with Ryder?" King asked.
"I couldn't reach him, and Redcoat said the same thing. For some reason, he is sending but not receiving. There is a different issue; their drone also detected multiple thermal signatures in the area."
"I thought the enemy could hide their thermal like us?" King asked.
"Normally, yes," Natilite answered. "Most militaries, big or small, equip their infantry with heat protection clothing to avoid seeker detection like you do. This could mean militias or adventurers are chasing Ryder. Many of the younger adventurers skip out on such protection because it's expensive, and there is no fighting on the battlefield, so they deem it unnecessary, most of the time."
"That's Good enough for me," King said. He ordered Ford to recall their drone before the enemy destroyed it and informed the Comanche of the battle. He then turned to the Farian woman sitting in the back seat. "Ar'lya, can you find us the quickest way south from here?"
"Yes," Ar'lya said. "That is why I am here after all. However, I do not think we will make it if your leader is being chased. This is rough terrain."
"We have no other choice," King said.
While Natilite was finally happy that they might have found their missing leader, she agreed they would be too late. As Ar'lya said, this dirt road was designed for something other than their vehicles and speedy movement. They were barely considered roads. While the Farian aided them in getting this far quickly, reality was still a reality.
"Higgins, what direction again?" Natilite asked.
"Somewhere that way," Higgins pointed. "But the signal is too weak to get a solid fix."
She looked out into the distance, deciding what to do next. While Valkyries are humans who can fly, that does not mean they are the only ones in the sky. Her kind must be careful, as there are dragons, wyvern, and their rivals, Harpies. Flocking along too far is dangerous on a good day.
Seeing no choice, Natilite said, "I will fly to him while you catch up."
"Hold out as long as you can," King said.
"Take this," Higgins said. "As you get closer, the signal will get stronger. Just follow it."
"Use the radio if you find something," King said. "Even nothing is something."
"I understand," Natilite said. The Templar placed her helmet on her head and connected the neck strap before adjusting her headset microphone. Of all the differences the Altaerrie technology had, this simple one was her favorite. It was small and far more efficient than using a communication orb. While having little time to experiment with the device, she already could predict that fighting while maintaining communication with teammates would be far superior to before.
As Natilite headed to a small opening to give herself enough room to flex her wings and take off, Ar'lya approached. "Is there an issue?"
"Before you go, I was wondering something," Ar'lya asked. "You are a Templar; why are you risking so much for one man, not from our world?"
Understanding the question, Natilite placed her hand on the Farian woman's shoulder. "Because I have faith that this is Tekali's path. She had me summon these people to our world for a reason."
Ar'lya lowered her ears, not pleased by the response. "I get that, but why are you? I understand why his friends are eager to find him, but you are a Templar. You see people die from warfare all the time, so why is this different? I do not understand your loyalty to people you do not know."
The question took Natilite off guard, but she responded with a smile. "That is different. I always cared about the people around me, but war can be war. However, since I joined this quest to bring the Altaerrie here, there has been so much death because of my actions. The people of Salva trusted me, and half of their population was killed. The Altaerrie trusted me, and now I allowed one of their leaders to be taken from under my nose. And right when we were gaining trust between each other."
The Farian woman smirked. "When you put it like that."
Not wanting to extend the conversation, the Valkyrie flexed her white base with a pink tint color and bluish-gray bottom tips and found them ready to fly.
Seeing the men of Comanche watching, she smirked but then looked forward to focus. With three steps, she lifted into the air and headed south.
She felt the air breezing past her cheek as she gained momentum. She hovered above the treetops and looked around as she earned her bearings. Finding south, she flew as hard as she could.
"Natilite, do you copy?" Higgins asked through TEAMCOM.
Hearing the voice through her headset, Natilite responded, "I can hear you. But you are slowly breaking up as I gain distance."
"I was worried about that," Higgins said. "But you should still be in range for a few more klicks."
"I understand."
"Also, I wanted to inform you that Redcoats deployed a Skylance loitering munition."
"Loitering?"
"It is like a small flying bomb. If you find hostiles, it should have your six until we arrive."
"Tell them that I send my thanks."
Wanting to ensure she was going in the correct direction, she held up the tracking device and pointed in the proper direction. To her surprise, it pointed toward an old fort many leagues away. Based on her sharp Valkyrie eyesight, the fort had to be about three leagues.
Thrilled that she had discovered where Ryder could be this quickly, her excitement faded as she saw small flashes at the old fort. The flashes could only be from weapon fire, and they knew that the Comanche Captain was in trouble.
She flexed her wings and burst as fast as possible, reporting to Comanche that she had discovered something.
*****
Hiding behind the base of a large tree, utilizing the surrounding bushes for cover, Ryder carefully aimed the civilian circiletum given to him by the Orc farming family.
Hearing movements ahead, the Comanche captain adjusted the iron sights to align his target. Seeing a J'avais man appeared from the foliage, a dark hair and square-like shoulder with wider cheeks compared to homo sapiens with brown skin that's tinted with a dark red shade. With the target within his sights, he fired. The flechette impacted its target, knocking the J'avais over.
Hearing other voices nearby, Ryder left his position and rushed through the forest's foliage. As he ran, he pulled the lever on the circiletum as a new flechette entered the chamber. In a ditch waiting for him, he saw Assiaya sitting where he told her to.
"They are coming," Ryder said. "Go, now."
The girl ran off down the planned path. At the same time, Ryder took cover and fired an additional shot from his circiletum before following close behind. The Captain then pulled the lever to add another flechette into the barrel. The reloading process annoyed the Comanche soldier as he grew used to the semi-automatic function of his M31. While the circiletum had a more powerful punch, feeling like a bolt-action elephant gun, it took too long to reload while he was being chased like a dog again.
The sound of crackling from the hostile circiletum echoed throughout the forest. Flechette impacted the trees and zoomed past the two.
After leaving the orcs' farm, everything started looking positive for the two. Ryder thought that they had moved past the most challenging part. It was clear to him that Kallem had allowed them to escape as they had only dealt with local factions. He had no idea why Kallem let them go, especially how much work the Vampire Lord took to kidnap him in the first place. Regardless, even though he had not dealt with the leading military tracking him, this world had its dangers, including the J'avais Pack they encountered.
Seeing a ditch, Ryder grabbed Assiaya and quickly slid down. Once at the bottom, he pointed in the direction he wanted her to go before climbing up the ditch enough to see over but remain in cover.
Seeing two hostiles coming, advancing in an organized manner, meaning that they were not militia. When Natilite and Fraeya informed his people about the J'avais – being like the old homo erectus subgroup branch of humanity – they were militaristic. Their entire species was built around warfare and nothing more. Based on how they were civilians, he and the girl, the two women were not kidding.
He fired but hit the tree next to one of the J'avais. This, however, stalled them as the two sought covers before returning fire, buying a slight amount of time to flee.
Sliding back down the ditch, Ryder rushed down the path and caught up with Assayia. As he ran, he took out the clip from the top of the civilian circiletum with a fresh clip of flechette into it, like the old M1 Grand. He then pulled the lever, loading the next round into the coil barrel.
When the Captain approached, he heard a loud stretch. It was not mechanical like before, more like a beast or monster.
"What was that?" Ryder couldn't help but ask. As before, the girl responded, but he couldn't understand what she was saying.
As they ran for their lives, they suddenly stopped when they saw the abandoned fort. The steel-reinforced concrete walls were broken, and the structures inside were imploded. The foliage growth suggested that this place had been abandoned for decades, if not longer.
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Hearing the screech again and enemy soldiers approaching, Ryder debated his options. They could keep running; however, it was clear the Pack was about to catch up. A pack was a unique military formation on Alagore, typically having twelve to thirty soldiers of one species within its ranks. According to Natilite, there were a few exceptions, like a scout or a mage. The only other option would be to try and make a last stand within the fort, as there was cover. Assiaya could hide while he could, and maybe he would whittle them down individually.
He did not see a gate to the fort, which made him believe that it was on the other side of the fort. He saw that one of the wall sections was broken enough for him to climb on top of it. The rest of the fort wall looked crackled, missing crystals like on Salva's walls, which made him believe that this place was a pre-industrialized magitech creation.
When the two arrived at the broken wall section, Ryder lifted the girl onto the wall. He quickly jumped a quarter-way up and started climbing. That was when two flechettes impacted around them, placing a fire underneath them to get on top of the wall.
After Ryder finished climbing the wall, he turned around and fired at the incoming J'avais Pack converging at the fort. He pulled the lever and fired again at the closest target. After two additional shots, he felt the girl pulling on his clothing, so he turned.
"Ryder, Harpyiae!" Assiaya said, pointing to the sky.
He noticed the girl panicking from whatever she saw. Looking toward the sky, he saw a dark figure flying toward them while screeching. Seeing the flying monster diving toward them, he tackled the girl and held her close to the ground as it flew past them.
Without hesitation, the Captain stood and aimed his circiletum but couldn't get a good shot. While he was unsure what harpyiae meant because of the translation issue, the word was like the earth's term—Harpy—making him believe that was what was attacking them now.
Deciding they were sitting ducks on the wall, Ryder grabbed Assiaya's arm and started running along the fort wall, looking for a path down. The Harpy flapped down and landed in front of them.
If this beast was a Harpy, it was nothing Ryder had seen. The fly beast looked like a woman with wings like a Valkyrie. Besides looking human, the primary body features were closer to those of a demonic bird, with red horns and bloodred eyes. The long hair hinted at red-orange, and tough purplish skin with large brown freckle patches scattered around the body acted as an organic armor layer. She held a sword while wearing Aristocracy armor, modified to fit the giant creature.
The only delight he saw was that she was slightly shorter than him, so he didn't have to fight another Akuma-style engagement. However, some of him didn't believe the size difference would matter with those wings. The primary concern he saw was that the Harpy was wearing light armor and carrying weapons, heavily implying that she was not a wild animal but intelligent like the j'avais’ and vampires.
The Harpy said something, but Ryder couldn't understand her. He glanced toward Assiaya and saw whatever the Harpy said terrified her. Knowing that the J'avais were right behind, the Captain decided not to fight the Harpy now as they were about to be flanked from two directions. Seeing only one option, he grabbed Assiaya. He jumped off the wall into one of the old wooden buildings in the interior.
They quickly broke through the wood roof and landed on an old table. Feeling pain, Ryder stood up and started running toward the exit, holding Assiaya by the arm so she wouldn't suffer any fall damage.
When Ryder reached the door, he stopped and quickly analyzed the layout. The interior could have been cleaner, as most of the remaining buildings barely stood. About a quarter of the roof imploded when they landed. However, he did see many places they could hide and move around.
"Alright, kid," Ryder said. "I cannot fight them while keeping an eye on you. Go to that ruined building and hide while I deal with them."
Seeing Assiaya running to where he pointed, the Comanche warrior took a deep breath and realized this was the last stand. He either defeated their chasers, or they were dead. He ran out into the open to get the Harpy and the Pack. Circiletum fire popped off as flechette impacted the area around him as he ran. Hearing the loud screech, the Harpy flew overhead.
Ryder aimed toward the top of the wall to find cover as the enemy Pack gathered there. He fired, and the shot impacted its target, causing the J'avais to fall backward. As he pulled the lever, he noticed that same J'avais standing back up, patting the significant dent in his armor, then celebrating that it saved him.
The Comanche Captain couldn’t help but mumble his frustration with the situation as he saw the hostile Pack dropping into the fort and started chasing after him, forcing him to find new cover.
Hearing the same screech again, Ryder stopped as the Harpy landed before him. However, as he tried to aim his civilian circiletum, the flying beast wouldn't give him a chance.
The Harpy charged forward, utilizing her wings to increase her ability. Ryder was barely able to dodge the sword and was forced backward. With a second strike incoming, he took his circiletum and blocked the attack.
The two struggled briefly before Ryder could slowly push her back with raw strength and determination. Seeing this, the Harpy flapped her wings and moved the Captain onto the ground. The female beast hovered in the air as it prepared to deceive him, holding her sword down to pierce into him.
Seeing the Harpy missing her target, Ryder slammed his circiletum into the flying monster's side like a baseball bat, knocking her over. He then stood and aimed his weapon at the Harpy but heard Assiaya calling his name.
Glancing over, Ryder saw Assiaya being grabbed by a J'avais and being taken as a hostage. Two more appeared before he would swing his weapon. The hostiles were laughing at what looked like a sidearm aimed at the girl's head as if they believed the battle was over, and that checkmated him. She was struggling but held above the ground.
One of the three j'avais’ stepped forward, pointing toward Ryder's weapon and the ground.
Taking a deep breath, Ryder carefully examined the situation and saw no way out. If it were just him, he would have risked taking the shot. However, based on the hatred in their eyes, Ryder knew they would harm the girl to punish him. He had no idea what the Lat-J'avais rivalry was, but it was profound.
"Let them girl go, and you can have me," Ryder said, holding the circiletum out.
The J'avais looked toward the girl and then back at him. He then laughed and shook his head.
Hearing the Harpy walking around Ryder's side, he realized he had been surrounded. The demonic humanoid gave a long screech and then charged forward. She charged forward and swung her blade to hide.
Ryder turned and held his weapon to block the Harpy sword attack; the creature was knocked away and flew into the wall.
Ryder saw a Valkyrie land on the ground where the Harpy was standing. The armor was white and light gray with a golden outline around the rim. A quadruple shoulder plating, while the lower arm had a curved armor plating with three slots for amulets and crystals. The chest has two rounded breast sections with slots for additional crystals and equipment pouches showing the technical elements within the designs. The top plating below the neck has a round blue circle representing Tekali. The four armor flap plates circled around her waist formed what seemed like an armored skirt and two long front leg guards covering her lower half legs.
It took him a moment to realize that it was Natilite as his mind struggled to accept that someone he knew would be here. It had been so long since he had seen anyone from his team that he had come to terms with the fact that he wouldn't see them until Salva. Before he could say anything, the Templar charged toward the Harpy with sheer hate in her eyes.
Seeing the three j'avais looking shocked by the sudden Valkyrie intervention, Ryder aimed his civilian circiletum and fired at the one holding Assiaya. She fell to the ground and ran for cover. Seeing he had no time to pull the lever to reload, the Captain charged forward and tackled the closest J'avais.
The two rolled around on the ground as they struggled for dominance. Even with the short break at the orc farmhouse, the Captain's body was still exhausted. It took all his determination and strength to get on top, thrusting his circiletum length against his opponent's neck.
The other J'avais rushed over and used his circiletum as a club to knock Ryder off his comrade. The Captain rolled off, feeling his side. Without his armor, he had to endure the full brunt of the attack.
Ryder looked up from the ground and saw Natilite fighting the Harpy. Their two swords clashed in a battle of strength, but the Templar won and pushed the Harpy back. She then held her left arm out, and a yellow energy shield appeared as it deflected flechette from other hostiles.
Natilite looked over and then flew at full speed. The J'avais that knocked Ryder over held what looked like one of those elecprobus energy staff weapons. Before he could pull the trigger, the Valkyrie sliced him in half. She landed nearby after sliding in the mud, and before she could kill the other J'avais, the Harpy ambushed her.
As Ryder regained his breath, he saw the J'avais that he wrestled recovering. He crawled over to the corpse and pulled a knife from the vest. Then he quickly got on his knees but saw his opponent already on his feet, holding a knife.
Seeing that he wouldn't win a melee fight, he grabbed mud from the ground and tossed it into the J'avais' face, blinding the Captain's opponent. Then the Comanche tackled the J'avais, dropping his enemy onto the ground and stabbing the knife into its neck. His opponent bashed his side as it slowly died.
Confirming that the J'avais were dead, Ryder stood up and looked toward Natilite's fight.
The Harpy slammed her sword into Natilite's wrist energy shield, bushing the Valkyrie back. The Templar jolted right and spun around to get behind the beast. She then jumped and swung her sword down the Harpy's right wing, cutting it off.
The flying beast screamed from the pain and attempted to flap around. Natilite charged forward and rammed her blade into the back of her opponent, finally killing it.
As Natilite caught her breath, she turned and waved to Ryder.
Ryder couldn't help but laugh, thrilled that someone from Comanche had arrived. He returned the wave with a half-baked salute before feeling a strong electrical current throughout his body before everything went dark.
*****
Staring at the Comanche captain, Natilite showed a sign of relief. Despite being missing for an Alagore week, breaking free from Kallem's grasp, and traveling across half a country to get to this point and thrill, their effort to find him was not fruitless.
Seeing Ryder wave to her, she waved back. Before being able to speak, the Captain was shot in the back by an elecprobus turquoise and white shock. Ryder fell to the ground quickly and hard as two J'avais appeared behind him holding elecprobus, one glowing orange and the other being turquoise – which Natilite concluded the blue staff was the one that knocked Ryder out as his back clothing was burnt; the skin didn't have life-threatening burns or scares that would typically be left from an energy base weapon.
Seeing her friend get shot filled the Valkyrie's eyes with rage. Being so close to rescuing their friend, these J'avais shot him. She quickly flexed her wings and burst past the two hostiles, slicing their heads in half.
Seeing that the immediate threat was taken care of, Natilite kneeled beside Ryder and investigated whether he was alive. The back of his clothing was burnt but intact, meaning that the enemy blast was not meant to kill but to taze—like one of the American tasers. After placing her fingers around his neck and noticing a pulse, she concluded that the Captain was still alive.
"Thank all the moons of Tekali." Natilite heard someone attacking her before Natilite could move the Captain to a secure area. She reached around, grabbed the opponent by the arm, and prepared to swing the unknown hostile onto the ground.
To Natilite shock, it was a Lat girl, barely into womanhood. Baffled why a young Lat female would be here, the Templar let go. The girl kneeled next to Ryder's unconscious body while holding a dull knife, probably taken from one of the old fort buildings, and aimed it at the Templar. That was when she recalled that the British drone stated that there was an additional person with Ryder, but she never imagined it was a girl.
"Stay away from him!" the girl yelled.
Confused by the girl's reaction and not feeling like she had time to deal with a local as Ryder needed to be extracted, the Templar pushed the girl away. That was when she noticed the girl had two different colored eyes, gold and blue- which she had never seen such a sight before but heard stories of. Transfixing into the girl's gaze and seeing how protective the girl was over Ryder's unconscious body made her realize the two must have developed a connection. While she had no idea what type of journey the two went through, it must have been an ordeal.
"I am Ryder's friend," Natilite said.
The girl looked shocked and calmed herself slightly. "You know his name?"
"Yes-." Hearing enemy weapons fire, Natilite remembered that a J'avais pack was still attacking. She turned and activated her wrist energy shield, forming a bright orange circle. Just as her shield formed, three flechettes impacted it, and the shield collapsed.
She noticed that her wrist amulet was out of energy and needed time to recharge. The Templar grabbed Ryder by the shoulders and dragged him behind the cover. She then stared at the girl, "Stay here and watch him."
While Natilite knew the girl wouldn't be able to protect Ryder, it kept her from running around the battlefield. Seeing that the girl understood, the Templar gripped her sword and sprinted from cover. A trail of flechettes followed behind as she leaped and guided across the ground. However, a flechette impacted her chest armor, and she crashed onto the fort wall.
"That hurt," Natilite mumbled as she slowly stood before checking herself. Seeing that her armor was held from the powerful impact, she knew another shot would penetrate.
She stood but was forced to seek cover as more flechette impacted around her. The enemy pack was spread throughout the fort as they tried to contain the Templars. While she hated J'avais for their aggression against all other humans, she always had to admit they were soldiers.
Two of the J'avais approached, one with a Hispana shield, a large rectangle shield called a scutum, and the other behind with a staff weapon. The two slowly advanced toward the Templar, with the one firing his weapon in an attempt to pin the Templar down.
However, Natilite could tell they didn't realize they were fighting a Templar. She leaped forward and rammed the shieldmen with far greater force than they were prepared for. As they fell, she grabbed the shield, ripping it from his hand, and rammed her sword into the j'avais open section on his side.
Ripping the scutum from the dead j'avais, she used it as protection against the elecprobus. Seeing the other J'avais using his comrade as cover, she thrusted her sword into the hostile before he could react.
As Natilite prepared to sprint toward the other J'avais, she suddenly heard something approaching her from the left. She adjusted the shield before being rammed off the wall.
She adjusted midair and landed on one of the ruined building roofs. In front of the Valkyrie were two more Wrath-type Harpies, the warrior types of the Harpy subgroups. Her kin had a rivalry against the Wraths for as long as she could remember, as both were natural flying humanoids. They had a long history of competing for territory and dominance of the skies.
Seeing the new threat, Natilite prepared to fly toward her opponent but was forced to stop and raise her shield to block the incoming fire. Seeing three j'avais on the wall shooting at her, she realized that if she flew toward them, the Wrath would ponce on her flank. However, she couldn't focus on the Wrath and dodge their fire. Deciding to surrender the initiative for cover, she heard an unknown mechanical sound before she could fly around the center tower. That was when a long but thin divide fell from the sky and impacted the j'avais on the wall, killing them in a small fragmentation explosion.
Confused by the sight, Natilite remembered that Higgins had informed her that Redcoat had deployed a loitering munition earlier. This must have been what they were talking about, and she was thrilled by the result. Now, she could focus on the more significant threat.
She flew backward toward the tower, bouncing against it to gain momentum, and flew toward one of the Wraths. The two collided and fell to their feet within the courtyard before charging at each other, ramming their swords in a struggle for strength.
"A Valkyrie," the Wrath said. "I would not mind feasting upon your sweat juices."
"Why not return to the horror pit which you came to before I slay all of your brethren," Natilite said with rageful eyes.
"Seeeth…. Sister, go to the fresh one."
Confused by what the Wrath meant, Natilite noticed the other Harpy flew past them and headed toward Ryder and the girl. "Oh no."
With no time to waste, Natilite pushed back against the Wrath with her superior strength and grabbed the beast's limb, tossing her into a nearby building. While physically superior, that did not mean it was effortless. With no time to breathe, she burst toward Ryder's position urgently.
Seeing the other Harpy land by him and the girl, the Valkyrie grabbed the scutum and flew to them with as much momentum as she could muster. As the Wrath attacked the girl, she blocked the demonic female attack with the scutum, saving the girl.
While Natilite held back the Wrath, she noticed the other emerging from the rubble. The flying beast released an impressive screech and started running toward her, flapping its wings.
As the other Wrath drew closer, a sudden large explosion appeared by the western wall. The Wrath stopped and looked west before a JLTV ran into the demonic beast, pushing the monster into a building. The vehicle rolled backward and parked as the Wrath's body fell to the ground, lifeless.
What remained of the J'avais Pack opened fire at the newcomers. The JLTV M2 heavy machine gun opened fire at the attackers while soldiers exited the vehicle. The patches on their battle suit shoulder showed they were from Comanche.
Feeling a renewed strength that aid had finally arrived, Natilite pushed the Wrath back. Tossing the broken shield away, she charged forward with her sword. Once in range, she dodged a strike from the Wrath and swung her sword, cutting the Harpy's arm off.
Seeing her opponent was off balance, she went under the Wrath wing and thrust her sword into the Harpy's head, finally killing it.
An additional J'avais spearman charged toward the Templar as he attempted to catch her off guard. She also noticed two more J'avais within her peripheral vision: one with a shield and spear and the other with a staff weapon. The one with the firearm grabbed and disarmed the girl from the dull knife.
The Valkyrie could not quickly rush to counter the two J'avais, as she had to deal with this new threat. To her surprise, the staff-wielding J'avais suddenly was impacted by a pellet on the helmet. The pellet was a small burst of orange gas that began burning the man's face. He let out a scream as he held his hands to his helmet, running around in pain. That was when Ar'lya charged forward, leaping onto the building wall before ramming a short spear into the other distracted J'avais shieldman.
For Natilite, she refocused on her target, blocking his sword. While this swordsman was skilled, she was faster. She was able to get around, slicing his exposed arm off before finally cutting the hostile.
Seeing that Ar'lya was bringing the girl over, Natilite could finally catch her breath. She looked over and saw the other two JLTVs arrive, with more of the Comanche exiting and joining the growing firefight. The J'avais pack seemed caught off guard by the sudden Altaerrie reinforcements and overwhelmed by the American firepower.
When Rommel King and Marcos Gonzales exited their vehicles, they rushed over, leaving the rest of the team to take care of the enemy. The Warrant Officer looked down at the unconscious Captain and said, "Natilite, is he dead?"
"No," Natilite said. "A stunning staff knocked him out. They wanted to take them alive."
As the two men started to grab the unconscious Captain, the Lat girl got between the Americans and threatened. In return, the two men aimed their rifles at her, believing the girl was hostile.
"Hold on." Natilite approached the girl and said, "Hey there, we are his friends. We are here to help. Whatever is wrong, these men need to take him to heal him. It is okay."
"He protected me," the girl said. "I do not want him hurt more."
"We don't have time for this," King said. "Everything in the area will hear this."
The Valkyrie turned to the Warrant Officer with a glare. "Hold on." She turned back to the girl with a smile. “My name is Natilite, I am a Templar. I helped summon these Altaerrie. You can trust me, I promise."
The girl looked terrified, glancing at all three. Hearing a nearby explosion, she stepped away. The two men picked up Ryder by the shoulders and started carrying him to the vehicles.
The Templar put away her sword but noticed the girl picking up the civilian circiletum before following. "What did these two go through?"
Once Ryder was loaded into one of the JLTVs, Comanche started loading up. Natilite approached hers and prepared to jump onto the roof. Before she did, she turned toward the girl. "Which one is she getting in?"
"Nope," King said. "This is not a charity."
"We cannot leave her," Natilite said. She saw a frustrated reaction from the acting commanding officer.
"We cannot pick up every stranger we pass by," King repeated. "We don't know her and are deep behind enemy lines. We have what we came for, and we need to go."
Feeling frustrated by the argument, she leaned into the Warrant Officer. Being a warrior, the Valkyrie understood his logic: allowing more people to tag along only drains more resources, especially children. However, she could already tell that abandoning the girl would be a significant mistake.
"Rommel. When I arrived, she was willing to fight me to protect him. The two likely left Forlace and made it all the way here. Do you think he would want us to abandon her here after everything they had been through?"
Rommel King frowned and stared at the Templar in the eyes. "You say that, but remember what the Kitsune village did?"
Natilite met his stare. "Yes, I do. But is that what you do?"
The acting CO closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes and said, "Put her with Fraeya."
Natilite smiled and followed the order, taking the girl into one of the vehicles and telling Fraeya to keep an eye on her.
As Comanche began falling back, Natilite took one last look at the fort. She could only count two J'avais left firing upon them as the Pack had to be thinned by now. She had no idea how many more were hiding but didn't want to find out. Seeing that the three vehicles had left the fort, she flew toward the center one and landed.
"I am secure, let's go home," Natilite said.
The three JLTVs rotated around and started heading back on the path they came, deeper into the forest’s west.