The group of mercenaries, exhausted and staggering, was escorted to the outskirts of Palistra. Harruo and his men could barely stand, leaning on the sturdy arms of a pair of guards who helped them along. A high calibre rifle was constantly pointed at the back of the guard leading the escort, and the visibly irritated guard was frowning, his patience tested by the constant threat he felt at his back. The tension in the air was palpable, as the murmurs of the mercenaries and the murmurs of the guards mingled in a symphony of nerves and distrust.
«Another experience I must strike from the curriculum», on the ride over, Drake was deep in thought, reflecting on some of his experiences with the other theocratic regimes.
“Looks like this isn't your first rodeo,” said one of the soldiers escorting him.
“I've been assaulted by Templar extremists, even when they were my employers” Drake revealed with his face slumped over his shoulder.
“Those are quite nefarious” the soldier replied, “for anything they say is an insult to their corpse god.”
«Almost as much as those who are targeting me, the only difference is that you prefer no religion to exist at all, unless you join their political alliance» Drake held back the urge to blurt it out aloud.
Each was marked with specific symbols and numbers. Around the perimeter, there were makeshift watchtowers and metal barricades.
A battle tank, painted with digital camouflage, was parked near the centre of the camp. Several squads of soldiers were carrying supplies and weapons to different areas. What caught Drake's attention most were the floating sphere-shaped droids patrolling the area. These robotic beings, equipped with integrated assault rifles, emitted a low hum as they moved, constantly scanning those present.
As the escorting soldiers approached the entrance to the camp, one of the hovering droids approached and emitted a beam of blue light that scanned each of them. Recognising their identities, the machine beeped and its lights changed from red to green, indicating clearance for access. The escort leader raised his hand in an almost automatic salute to the droid and said:
“We're bringing in a guardian for the chimera contract.”
The hovering droid emitted a sound of confirmation and rose again, allowing them to pass. A handful of soldiers greeted the group of Mad Dogs, leading them to one of the medical tents, leaving Drake as the only prisoner of the elite guards.
Drake saw no flags of the three territories that made up the Free Thought alliance, only the banner with the coat of arms of the whole: a dark blue background, with a silver gear in the centre.
“Which part of the Free Thought are you from? Just because it's the most widely spoken Grishlav on the continent doesn't help in identifying patterns. ”Drake couldn't recognise the soldiers' accents because of the device in their helmets, which turned their voices into a mechanical tone.
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“Belonging to an alliance makes us one nation. If one gets attacked, we'll all go in” the guard replied. “Why the interest?”
“Curiosity, two of my best friends are from Nyashta and Bohemia.” The faces of Lance and Alice appeared in Drake's head. “Enlighten me, what was the excuse this time for the invasion? I thought Utopolis had a no-fire relationship with Santus. I've heard some things, that the Cruzes got in where they shouldn't have.”
“The Cruz house that rules the border between Santus and Utopolis was secretly funding rebels who plundered the crystal mines in Nyashta, delaying the advancement of innovation projects in our industries.” The soldier limited the information, giving a context that would soon expand. “So we responded. We are plundering their own lands for the duration of this incursion, until the Archive or the rest of Santus come to take us out; the latter I doubt, as you may know are having plagues of monsters all over the country and we are not really interested in advancing outside the domains of these nobles.”
» A negative point for being a territory with clock tower wizards at the head of the territory. Crystals in abundance can attract monsters, let alone their experiments that often escape.
“I have been travelling around my group clearing ghoul villages for several months.” Drake affirmed the motion. Also the energy released from war conflicts increases the occurrence of crystal mines.
“Which attracts monsters and the creation of beings of your kind to take care of them.” The soldier's cold statement made Drake's countenance darken.
“Don't worry, it will soon be over,” said the guard, “Santus and Utopolis should be signing the peace treaty by now. It hasn't been a very complicated invasion, it seems the Clocktower doesn't mind that noble family losing power; as far as I know they were opposed to the repeal of slavery in this country and the Templar church losing political influence.”
«And the Clock Towers in every country respond to the Archive,» Drake concluded.
Moving towards the larger tent, Drake noted that the soldiers were well organised and trained, but there were not as many as he would have expected; there were approximately two squads that led him to the main tent.
Inside, the tent was equipped with operating tables, displayed maps and various communication devices. An imposing figure rose from a chair and turned to face them.
Upon entering, Drake saw a desk cluttered with papers strewn about, suggesting an atmosphere of constant and urgent work. Seated behind the desk was what appeared to be the commander. The armour was marked by deep dents and scratches on the chest and shoulder pads, testament to a warrior who was not afraid to be on the front line of combat.
The commander wore no helmet, exposing his extremely fair-skinned face. His light blond hair, cut in the military style, framed a face of rugged, firm features, characteristic of a middle-aged man. His cold blue eyes reflected a tired look, heavy with experience and responsibility, suggesting that he had seen too many battles and carried the weight of too many difficult decisions.
«This guy is definitely from Bohemia,», Drake recognised the features and skin colour of a man from that land.
“There are too many to capture one,” the commander muttered, his eyes fixed on the prisoner.
“Greetings, Commander Kasidy, we bring before you the guardian who requested to take care of the chimera,” one of the soldiers replied, “unfortunately before coming here he had an altercation with the Mad Dogs in a tavern in Palistria. We have sent Harrou and his people to the technomancer for maintenance.”
“Coming from those troublemakers, I wouldn't be surprised if they started the conflict,” Kasidy replied, resting his hand on his jaw with a thoughtful expression. After a brief silence, he added, “ Show me your badge to verify their identity, and show me their face, please.
“All I ask for is calm and some space,” said Drake, as he slowly uncovered his face, raising his hands in a sign of peace.
The warrior held up a medallion to confirm his identity. Kasidy opened the pendant's lid, revealing personal details attached to a black and white photograph of the wearer.