Wyvern Stable no. 17, Jin-Hark, Lourian Kingdom, 11th of November, 1639, 7:37 AM

A junior wyvern fighter ran through the busy stables as he adjusted his armour. Daenim Jourie was late for his first deployment which really was one of the most important moments for any wyvern squadron. A simple patrol of Maihark which wasn't out of the blue but the fact they've called a lot of them to go on patrol was a little strange. He spotted his unit as they were just about to take off. With that, he skidded to a stop as he spotted his superior before he stood straight.

"Captain! J-Jourie reporting for duty!" Daenim said with an absolutely exhausted tone as his superior looked back and frowned.

"There you are. If I wasn't mistaken I thought you got killed by a Qua-Toynian," the older man said with a snicker before he spoke further, "You're lucky your unit hasn't taken off yet. I was about to have your wyvern put to sleep as punishment."

Daenim gulped, "I-I wouldn't dream of it sir," He said with a frown.

"I was just joking kid, lighten up. Get your wyvern with your unit up in the air. Just a simple patrol, I'm sure you can handle that right?" The captain said as he started to walk down the stables to the last wyvern in the row.

"Yes sir!" Daenim said as he approached his wyvern. He smiled as he petted the wyvern's neck affectionately to which it purred, "Hey there boy. Sorry I was late." He said before he brought him out of the stable.

"Alright, don't let me down, kid!" The captain said. Daenim nodded before he got onto his wyvern as he went to his group.

With that, the others looked back as one of them spoke, "Well look who came from the dead. Good morning to you too, Daenim," one snickered.

"Yeah yeah, sorry I was late. But I wasn't too late now was I?" Daenim said with a grin as he slipped on his helmet.

"Alright gents, let's head off!" The lead wyvern soldier said as soon they and along with the others started to run along to gain speed.

Daenim then pats his wyvern's neck and soon he started to run as well. In a quick moment the wyverns were now up in the air as Daenim cheered, "Wooo! That's what I'm talking about!" He said with a grin as he looked down to Jin-Hark below. "What a fantastic day to go flying, eh Saviour?"

Saviour below him simply let out a little roar of agreement as they flew around the perimeter of Jin-Hark. Daenim looked down to the scenery as he enjoyed the wind blowing against his face before he put down his visor while he spoke, "So this is patrol huh? I dig it," he said with a relaxed laugh as he and Saviour flew around.

Daenim had always wanted to be a wyvern fighter for as long as he dreamed it. There was a sense of honour that came with taming a beast, earning its trust, and fighting evil with it. He looked to Saviour as he smiled at the wyvern under him.

But just as he was about to reach to pet Saviour again, a terrible booming sound resonated through the air. With barely enough time, Daenim looked up to see flying beasts that flew by so quickly it hurt his ears.

"What the!?" He then started to speak into his mobile mana communicator, "Control we have unknown flying beasts passing by! Attempting to intercept!"

...

Hark ran to the windows of the Royal Baths as he looked out of them. He went wide eyed as he watched the flying beasts rush by while he gripped the stone of his windowsill, "Who the hell!?"

He watched as the sky started to be swarmed by wyvern fighters and yet they couldn't seem to catch up to them, not even close. But suddenly...

The skies turned bright as if a dozen suns popped into existence and disappeared and sooner than he realised, Hark watched the blood and gore of the wyvern fighters drop to the ground as his heart sank.

"Oh gods... is... that Italy!?" Hark yelled to himself. He looked back to the doors of the Baths as Patagene rushed inside. He quickly told the concubines to leave as he looked to Hark.

"Your majesty! A surprise attack, we need to get you somewhere safe!" Patagene declared with almost full panic as Hark took a moment to process this and nodded.

"Very well! Get me my armour!" The king demanded as he started to rush out of the baths once he got his robe on.

...

"Crap! Saviour come on bud!" Daenim pulled on the wyvern's reigns as he could spot one of the iron beasts staring down at him. He went wide eyed as he could see a light arrow head for him. He yelled in fear as he made Saviour suddenly dive to the ground before the arrow exploded.

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Saviour yelped in pain as he and Daenim started to crash back down at the outskirts of Jin-Hark. With a loud snap, Daenim fell into a tree as his wyvern crashed to the ground.

Daenim groaned in agony as he tried to sit up only to suddenly fall back to the ground with a yelp of pain. He looked down only to see his leg looked twisted. But as he heard a growly whimper, Daenim looked back and went wide eyed.

"Saviour!" Soon Daenim rushed to his wyvern and despite the pain, he then gently held Saviour as he assessed the damage. Nearly half of him was burnt. His left wing was torn to almost nothing. "Buddy? Are you okay? Why am I even asking that!"

Saviour didn't respond for a moment but he growled weakly as he tried to stand up only to fall again much like Daenim. The young fighter simply tried to pet his wyvern only to flinch as he looked to Jin-Hark suddenly exploding.

...

Patagene rushed up to a nearby tower of the castle as his heart dropped. As the castle shook ever so slightly, he managed to catch the sight of something falling from the iron beasts as they flew by. Patagene hoped it was the same guts and gore their wyverns endured but then as they exploded, he realised what just happened.

Their wyvern stables were all destroyed. Not only that but the reserve force barracks were annihilated. Hundreds of wyverns and thousands of men, all gone in the blink of an eye.

Patagene then realised something. Their supply chain. No cargo and backup for the Eastern Subjugation Force could even leave the walls of Jin-Hark. He went wide eyed as he resisted the urge to faint, "Oh crap...! Jin-Hark is defenseless!" He shouted to himself before he ran back into the castle. He needed to call men from other cities to defend the capital, and fast.

...

Daenim watched the sight as smoke resonated from Jin-Hark. With the few taller buildings he recognised, Daenim realised his fellow fighters were now gone. He then fell to the ground as he sat against Saviour.

"... They're all gone," Daenim said in disbelief as he shuddered in fear. For once, he felt like a lost boy. Daenim looked up as he watched the iron beasts go south. So where should he go now?

The young fighter then perked up as Saviour nudged at his arm. He looked down to the wyvern in confusion. Saviour looked to the side. There was a small crude path among the trees. Daenim went wide eyed, "You... want us to abandon Jin-Hark? W-we can't do that!"

The wyvern then whimpered. He showed off his ruined wing and then gently licked Daenim's twisted leg. The man winced at that before he looked back to the smoking city. His heart dropped to his stomach. "Alright boy... maybe we can head to my sister's place or something..." He said as he hopped on Saviour's back.

Saviour roared quietly in agreement. For a moment he tried to fly only for him to whimper in pain as he looked back at his wing. It wasn't obvious but as Daenim stared into Saviour's eyes, he could tell that his dear wyvern was devastated. The pride of a wyvern, his wings, were now gone. With a solemn look, Saviour then started to walk down the path away from Jin-Hark.

...

Deep in the castle of Jin-Hark, an emergency meeting commenced. For the first time in who knows how long King Hark was fully dressed in his royal armour for his safety. The room was in a panic after the attack and soon the doors opened to Patagene as he entered, "They've decimated our wyvern stables and barracks! I've ordered whatever men there are left to rescue whoever we can get!"

An elderly man with a robe, a staff, long hair and beard shook in his seat as he spoke, "Our mage forces couldn't get to the walls in time to defend the city. Those beasts were too fast! And those light arrows... They've followed the wyverns and yet I do not detect any magic from them!"

Soon Maus then spoke in a panicked impatient tone, "What do you mean there's no magic, Yamirei!? You've seen the light arrows yourself, they had the power of even your strongest enchantments!"

Patagene gulped as he spoke up, "These damn Italians. It was only yesterday that we received their declaration of war from Parpaldia now they've decimated the capital's forces."

Yamirei then spoke, "How sure are we that it is the Italians? Can't it be... no, that's a thought I won't share," the Grand Mage said with a shudder of fear. "Not even Parpaldia has the ability to iron wyverns, no?"

Maus then looked up, "Wait... Parpaldia, of course!! Can't we ask for support from them? Surely we can, right?" Patagene and the others except for Hark looked at each other. Maus then stood up, "I-I'll summon their envoys quickly!"

Meanwhile Hark sat there silently, hands clasped as he stared at the table. He only had one thought in his mind. How his closest advisers were disappointing him with such a surprise attack.

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Joint Italian-Qua-Toyne HQ, Maihark

Back in the city of Maihark, the noise of Italian equipment soon ceased to a halt as they've gone west. In a building designated as HQ for the two nations' armed forces, a room was setup to relay information from the frontlines. And as he stood behind his subordinates, General Guiseppe Caruso rubbed his chin as behind him his other fellow generals processed the information, "So the airstrike on the capital was a success, huh? Pretty soon they'll be trying to pull back forces from Gim to defend the city."

Suddenly the door opened. General Hanki entered inside as Kanata followed. And even if he didn't have to, Haluta wanted to see the action as Hanki spoke, "General Caruso. What's the progress so far?"

Guiseppe then looked back, "The joint army is heading west to the city of Qua-Toyne. It'll be later so for now they don't need air assitance. As such the air force was sent on their first operation," he said. "Operation Aosta is currently ongoing, but the first phase, a strike on Jin-Hark is a success."

The Qua-Toynians looked on, baffled before Kanata spoke, "You mean— your what's it called... jets managed to damage Jin-Hark? Was there no resistance?"

"There was, but the air force has taken care of them. After they strike the nearest stables and bases to the frontlines, our jets will head back to assist in the retaking of Qua-Toyne," Guiseppe said before he looked back, "the next phase is already ongoing. Operation Bologna... the plan to send the Lourian Navy into the sea."

Hanki stared incredulously. Maybe they can take Qua-Toyne back quicker than he expected.