Chapter 14
April 13th, 1964
0014
Trading City of Vicenzo
They were pulled up the wall without trouble.
Andrew Reagan glanced at the city ahead of him. The fire had spread somewhat, and he could still hear the distant commotion as people tried to get it under control. His captain, The Legend, was talking with someone on the radio, a look of uncertainty in his eyes as he did.
No arrows fell after them now, nor did any mortars fly towards the enemy camps. He could now tell a lot of the fires had been fully put out. Or at least, those that he could see had been put out. They would have to wait until morning to check what damage they’d inflicted.
But regardless of the damage done, the injuries caused to civilians would be far more impactful to their war effort. It was an ugly situation as it was, but if the imperials decided to tell the civilians they would be allowed to leave if they turned on their current allies, how many would turn into enemy combatants?
These considerations were going through the minds of all present on the wall. None spoke for a while as the flames burned in the distance. The wind carried the smoke towards them. It invaded his nostrils, denying what comfort the night’s cool had brought. This smoke was different from that caused by gunpowder or high explosive artillery. Harsher, drier somehow.
Clark was the one to speak up after a moment.
“They just hit the city out of nowhere. No one even heard ‘em coming.”
Reagan eyed the fire in the distance without a word.
“They didn’t even hit any of our positions, they hit the civilians.”
“Maybe they thought that’s where we were. Or maybe not.”
***
Strategic bombings and Morale bombings.
Supposedly there was a difference, as strategic bombings weren’t primarily meant to destroy civilian homes while morale bombings were. That had been the major difference between the Allied bombings of Germany during the Second World War. The bombings of German and Japanese cities had, in the end, been to accomplish those strategic goals. Civilian suffering had been guaranteed either way as factories and infrastructure were inevitably targeted despite the priority of targeting military infrastructure, but there had been a noticeable difference when one sat down to study the bombings carried out by the Western Allies and those carried out by the Axis.
To him, this had to be a morale bombing if he’d ever seen one.
Dennis Orville had never seen the results of Napalm on human targets. He’d read about its use in World War II, though that had been more of a prototype. Dennis Orville had never seen the effects of Greek Fire on humans either. Both supposedly behaved similarly, with the highly flammable gelatin-like substance burning even underwater. And when it came into contact with the human body…
God, were we going to use something like this against the Communists?
As the wooden roof of the stone home collapsed, the buckets of water useless against the flames, Dennis pushed the thoughts aside and turned his attention to a severely burnt man who lay in front of him.
The man was a local centurion according to himself. Experienced. A man who’d spent his thirty years of life training for what he was doing now, and it had almost all been stripped away by flames from above. The man was now shirtless, his armor discarded as their medic went over his wounds. Bits of melted leather armor were stuck to his skin, itself partly bubbling as blisters from the burns were all too visible. Despite holding still, his muscles were visibly tense, his hands clasped tightly to the point they shook where he lay.
As their medic removed the syringe full of Morphine, the centurion relaxed ever so slightly.
“Is the pain more bearable now, sir?”
Dennis got a half-hearted nod in response. Barely attentive, eyes glazed over. Sleepy. The injured centurion then started to angrily mutter curses at both the attackers and the Americans trying to help put out the fire.
Well, at least the morphine worked…
“Can you tell me what happened, sir?”
As if his back wasn’t riddled with horrible burns, the centurion replied in anger that roared even the hungry flames.
“What do you think?! Fire rained from above and now a whole section of the city is doomed!” He winced suddenly, his face contorting in pain after he got that last remark out.
Dennis tried another question then, “So you this was an attack from the air. Did you see any wyverns or something when the flames rained down?”
The man grumbled a frustrated, indignant, “No.”
“I see, thank you.”
Waste of morphine…
The medic finished applying some gauze on the centurion’s injuries before shaking his head “Life’ll be hell for him a while, but… he got off lucky.”
There were seven other shaking, writhing, burnt figures that resembled humans and were still alive. A curse rather than a blessing. At least those who’d been struck directly had passed out from the pain before the worst of it and died. The local centurions carried off a few more back to the gubernatorial palace where they could be treated better, but there was very little hope for those with horrible burns, even with modern medicine.
A nearby tree caught fire then. By now, everyone had given up on saving the buildings. A few of the guys had to be ordered not to dump their canteen bottles over the flames, and with a look of reluctance, they had all complied.
You’re older than me… grow up…
Dennis frowned at his own thoughts, but there was absolutely nothing that could be done. The people who had been able to escape the inferno had done so, and the people who could not escape did not. It was over before anyone could have reacted.
All that remained was the cleanup and minimization of damage.
Dennis took one look around at some of the civilians that were watching the scene unfold. Most humans, some demihumans. All of them watched in silence as the flames grew, and the men who tried to keep the flames at bay managed some control. In the darkness, Dennis watched how mixed their expressions were. Some appeared angry, some apathetic, but with the limited illumination from the flames, he could only see so far.
Briefly, he wondered about his troubles. How would he react if his home was burnt down? What if his family had burnt to death? As the stench of smoke and charred flesh continued to assault his senses as the wind shifted towards his direction, Dennis forced those emotions away and got back to his feet, moving to help where he could as his mother’s words continuously echoed in the back of his mind like a soothing recording.
Do some good.
It didn’t help.
***
Parthea Traianus watched the fire in the distance and tried to keep the sounds of the wails of the citizens out of her mind as Governor Lucretius spoke in a forcefully calm tone. The room was dark, with the torches out and the few candlelights casting shadows that danced with the shifting illumination from the outside. She tried to focus on the talk while her mind longed to learn about the fate of the city’s civilians as the fire seemed to have grown substantially.
“Marcel and I were…” he paused, his eyes turning over to the flames in the city again, but then continued “We were going over the legal case once this is all over.”
“I shall speak for you in my father’s presence.” Parthea muttered back, not particularly interested in the future at the moment.
“Of course, but it does not hurt to be somewhat prepared.”
She ignored him and said, “Certainly. I just… I do not understand. These men are not the invaders of the past. They are not monsters out to devour our land, let alone some horrid creatures that require all that!”
Marcel answered her.
“It is simple Imperial Policy, highness. However, we do have a case from the early days of the Empire where a governor was able to go against the orders of the Emperor during an emergency.”
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Without skipping a beat, she asked “The Case of the Beast men, no? Does that apply here?”
Marcel placed the parchments on a table and said “Well, on that occasion, the decision was to stay and fight rather than evacuate like the Emperor had stated, here it was… similar enough. We were trying to plot around something similar.”
“It is a centuries-old case.” She spoke quietly.
“Many of our laws are centuries old. As well as the fact that there has been no other occasion where this has been necessitated.”
Parthea sighed, then said “Well, governor, we are a people of laws at the end of the day. So are our enemies, it seems.”
It had been a while since she had heard the growling of the American flying machines and she wondered if the city’s defense would get easier once they returned with more men and supplies.
Lucretius huffed, tiredly adding “They moved to help the victims as though they were their own people.”
Marcel said “That is because if they do not, they will be seen as any other invading force. They must treat the people they want on their side, otherwise risk the trouble of an unhappy occupation.”
Lucretius nodded slowly.
“Helps us either way. And that bastard Octavius will pay for this.” Parthea growled.
***
Octavius and several of his men cheered as Cassius and his fliers landed.
“Good job, Cassius! A strike blessed by the gods if I ever saw one!” General Octavius said with a grin.
Cassius smiled back as he hopped from his mount. The men around him, some injured from the previous cowardly attack, but many not, gave him approving nods.
“Not one wyvern lost. Not one!” Octavius observed, grinning even wider now.
Cassius said, “They do not have their weapons here just yet.”
“Yes, even those earlier artillery attacks were not anywhere near as bad as those in the mountains. And those new weapons…”
“Augustine must be making more now. If we can fly back there now, and get back here by sunrise…”
“Yes. Yes! And see if you can bring one of his fire mages as well. We can burn this city. We can win this battle!”
Cassius glanced at his wyvern. He was riled up, excited, and hungry for more. The potential of this new weapon unlike all the others was now much more tangible. Dropping them in the air from wyverns made sense, but what about a catapult? Or by hand?
“Then I believe my wyverns and I should set out tonight when these men cannot see us. We shall rest in the mountains, get more of these weapons from Augustine, and come back so we can carry out more attacks like these tomorrow.”
“Good man! Watch yourselves and do as you say. Let us bring these barbarians down.”
There was far more confidence in his voice now. The Americans had thought they could have broken them with another surprise attack.
“They thought we would break! But no! We are the soldiers of the Iberian Empire! Our supremacy is already guaranteed!”
As the smoke from the city continued to rise, his smile grew with it. Even if the flames did not kill any of the Americans, the benefits were there. Push a population just right, and they might even do the work for him.
Surely the invaders could not hold out with attacks like these forever!
American Forward Operating Base
“Our guys won’t last very long out there with attacks like these.” the Army Major reported as men functioning on coffee and cigarettes adjusted positions on a hastily drawn map. The photograph of the City of Vicenzo had been expanded and turned into a map with a pair of tiny American flags placed on top. A section of it was now crossed out, as outside of it were pieces with the drawings of lion heads placed all around it.
“Red Cross says they have a lot of volunteers ready to go.”
“Not until the area’s secure.” Abrams replied coldly, his eyes studying the map.
No one ever accused the Romans of being dumb…
He placed a finger on the eastern outskirts of the city, where there was a wooded area.
“They’ll probably scatter these camps as our helicopters approach.”
More helicopters had come through, finally, which made refueling easier, as well as faster and more consistent resupply and casualty evacuation missions. But without the proper artillery and aerial support, the situation was much closer than he cared to admit. And with the tank convoys stuck behind those blocked passages, things looked quite bleak.
At least on paper.
“We’ll stick to the plan. Next resupply will bring some AA with them. Nothing fancy, but something to hold things over.”
“Sir, they used wyverns this time, but this… I suppose you can call it primitive napalm… it’ll wreak havoc on a city like this.”
“I know, but as long as the walls stay up and our guys have the ammo, we should be able to hold until we can properly bring in the units to crush this force here.” he punctuated his point by tapping the main imperial encampment on the city’s south.
0600
Luna stretched as she woke up.
Her tent was cooler, and overall more comfortable now up in the mountains, but she was accustomed to waking early either way. But, at least today, she allowed herself to sleep in a bit. The Sun was rising, drying the dew on the flora’s leaves, and her new “uniform” was certainly helping with the weather. It was cleaner, it felt firmer and warmer. Though less protected somehow. Not quite constraining as she adjusted the belt around the green pants, but as she stepped outside into the misty morning, she doubted she’d be doing much fighting.
Then again, I’m a guide for these men, not exactly a frontline soldier.
Life had gotten easier. Those able to act as guides helped these Americans with making the maps, and those unable to stay in the village, ensured all was well and the children were cared for. With the presence of these other-worlders, and really the fact they were higher up in the mountains, safety concerns were mostly met. Their gardens had just started being replanted after they’d moved, but they had the reserves for a few months as well as promised help from these “Red Cross” volunteers.
She glanced at the tent where the fox girls stayed.
The middle one was already outside, sitting in the grass whilst watching the rising sun.
“How do you do, Talia?” she called in English.
The fox girl’s ears flinched, not too different from her people’s ears, but she noticed her tail remained smooth instead of following in tandem.
Odd…
She switched back to the imperial tongue.
“How are you?”
Talia smiled back and said “I am fine. How is the clothing from the other world? Is it comfortable?”
“More or less. It takes some getting accustomed to, but I can see myself wearing this more and more. It also helps me hide better in the brush.”
Talia nodded.
“That, uh, younger Marine visit you?”
“Not yet. I hope to see him soon.”
“Ah ha…” Luna mumbled, noting the fox girl reddened slightly.
“He stopped the man who tried to hurt Saseo. I am grateful for that.”
“Ah ha…”
“A-and I just wish I could show my gratitude more. O-of course, I also understand that he has someone waiting back home, s-so… please stop looking at me with such eyes.”
“I am a wolf, Talia. My eyes only observe. Albeit, more keenly than your average fox.”
Talia looked away, her pale skin suddenly a reddish mess.
“Ah, well, there are plenty of other men here. I am certain those different foxes brought along with you may catch your fancy eventually.”
Talia said nothing.
“Or perhaps the fox has a sly plan in mind?”
Talia reddened further.
Luna huffed, then said “Not my place, I suppose. We can talk later if you wish, but I have to meet with that interpreter today. The Marine one.”
Talia nodded.
“Shall I let him know you wish to see the young Marine?”
Luna laughed at the girl’s disquieted response, which was to hug her knees and hide her face behind them, her tail suddenly coming up to cover her face further as she shrank on the grass she sat on.
She thought she heard the girl squeak out something akin to “I would not mind” but did not acknowledge it as she walked away, giggling to herself as she did. All felt right.
Until it didn’t.
Her smile vanished as she saw one of the cars with a red cross on its side drive past, a young man with dark skin and a very pained expression on his face as he lay on the back. Concerned comrades held him in place as they clutched the arrow that stuck from the young soldier’s shoulder. The ones with the red cross on their helmets and arm patches had some of the bandages they used to cover the wound on hand, replacing older, bloodier bandages.
They all looked angry.
Right, they are at war still…
She frowned slightly, then pushed towards the Marine Command post.
A pair of Marine guards, “Sen-trees” they called them, stood by the camp’s entrance, not far from the command post. They did not acknowledge her as she greeted them with a smile. Though as she’d gotten closer she could imagine why.
Even from where she stood outside, among the many voices within the camp, she could vaguely hear Frank and several officers discuss something inside one of the tents. Alan wasn’t there yet, so she hung back to try and listen in from outside the camp itself. She watched the frightful barbed wire, and the firearms the sentries held while she tried to make out just what the men inside were discussing. She’d grasped a few words. Not many. Almost none of this “English” was as large a tongue as that of the Iberians. Still, she was partly a wolf, and she could hear better than most even if she could not fully understand things. So she listened away, not understanding the language entirely, but she could grasp the feelings behind the words all too well.
Anger and frustration lined every spoken word even once she was unable to hear Frank.
After a short time, Frank stepped into view, saw her, and waved her over.
She said nothing as he and the officer they’d met before, Cooper, approached, a cigarette in his hand as he seemed somewhat nervous. They saw her and wordlessly moved towards her. Something in their eyes… worry?
Cooper spoke first, emphatically, and firmly.
“These ambushes are making life difficult.” Frank translated simply, forcing a smile.
“How so?”
Translate.
Cooper spoke again, two words she understood.
“Tell her”.
“Our heavier weapons cannot push out of the mountains until we clear the main highways, which have been blocked. We are resupplying our men in Vicenzo with our flying machines, but it takes time.”
Suddenly worried herself, Luna said, “The list of smaller roads and passages we drew for you is not helping?”
“Not enough for our vehicles and too risky for our men to go through in large numbers.”
Luna winced.
“So… so then why did you call Alan and me here?”
Motioning for her to walk with him, he said “We are looking at every possible avenue here, Luna. If there is anything you or your people can tell us that may help us better this situation, then we need to know it.”
Luna eyed the command post they were walking away from. The discussion grew distant and stagnant as they moved elsewhere. But she was a wolf. Her eyes observed.
Just how bad is the situation for your men?
Instead, she said in English one of the things she had picked up “Aye, sir!”