Chapter 9

image [https://i.imgur.com/KWts6Mv.png]

Imperial City of Vicenzo

The image would have raised some eyebrows even with context.

An entire platoon of United States Army troops just milling about in a strange middle-ground of tension and relaxation. Several of the UH-1s were still standing by, engines off, while some were still in the process of unloading the equipment they were required to install in order to keep proper radio communications with their main base in the Alpines, but other than that, the worst case scenario of having a major engagement they had been geared for had been completely avoided.

Seemingly…

Dennis watched as Sean continued to translate information that the local representative, Senator Marcel Dumas, rapidly jotted down on a piece of parchment. All basic information. General points about the American military’s goals in the region, elements of American culture and similarities to Earth’s historical Rome, and overall elements that might help in cooling things down between the Iberian Empire and the United States once their senate got the information. After all, there was still the raging cold war against the communists to win back home, so better to finish things here. Neither the Imperial soldiers nor the local servants were bothering them, and some of the hybrids even appeared interested in the men, which may have turned off some of them.

But not others.

Dennis eyed the girl with cat ears as she walked around the field with little aim. Her eyes studied each of the men from another world. Dennis saw that most guys either looked away or went no further than a polite nod.

But not for James Hastings.

No, that man saw his chance and did not bother once to reconsider.

"So, uh… miss… kitty cat?" Dennis overheard and quickly averted his gaze.

The man knew what he wanted, and Dennis was glad he didn’t have to be part of some awkward attempt at helping him flirt. Odds were Hastings would try to buy the girl with a chocolate bar and be done with it.

Wait, are you supposed to give chocolate to cats?

“Heading over to the perimeter wall of the city.” Andrew Reagan told Governor Lucretius who stood near Senator Marcel, listening in. He was trailed by a few other Berets and the local Legate who kept asking him questions.

Dennis nodded to the Green Beret who ignored him as they walked off. Their older captain, The Legend, led the way. Knowing the Berets had encountered General Arminius Octavius prior, this only made sense. Perhaps there had simply been a miscommunication.

Perhaps…

Meanwhile, a pair of Hueys began taking off.

Dennis observed some of the Hueys leave as one of the rabbit girls approached him.

"Water?” she asked in the local tongue, offering a plate with, to his surprise, glass cups. He’d read Rome and Egypt had glass as early as a century prior to the birth of Christ, but it was curious to see what it looked like. They were ornate, and not quite transparent, but there was a quality to them that he could not deny.

Still, Dennis showed her his canteen and wordlessly waved her away.

The girl huffed, then said, “I know you understand our language, so why are you so silent?”

Dennis shrugged.

The girl said “My name is Amalia. I believe Hypatia already told you our history?”

He nodded.

“So… is there anything you can tell me about your plans for the empire?”

“No.”

He noted the girl’s ears shifted slightly, almost like wings as she grumbled “You men are a frustrating bunch.”

Dennis sighed, and with some degree of regret, said “Apologies, but I am not privy to that information. To be honest, we were half-expecting to be attacked.”

Now the rabbit girl eyed him with some degree of confusion.

“Yet your orders were to try and open talks?”

“Yes.”

“Strange. Are you not more powerful than the empire?”

It took us a day to kill 10,000 of their men with tanks…

Instead, he said “Yes. It is no contest.”

“So why talk? You can take what you want, yes?”

“We have rules in the way we wage war.”

“Well, those are some rather strange rules. If you ask me, I would have burned this empire long ago, but a part of me believes you men do not want that.”

Dennis eyed the grass beneath him. An unwanted pang of regret lingered in the back of his mind, but in spite of it, as memories of the previous weeks of artillery strikes played out in his mind, he had to concede that the girl was not entirely wrong. So he simply answered her honestly.

“Maybe.”

The girl said nothing more and left him there, allowing him to eye the ancient-looking walls that surrounded the main palace. These looked formidable enough, large and well-built. They would not be rammed or blown apart, although ladders could become an issue since they were only a little over ten feet tall. They would be safe there from a siege, but the main outer wall was another story. It had looked smaller when they flew over it, and if General Octavius decided to attack…

Hastings interrupted his tired mind.

"Orville, can you do me a solid and give me a hand with this gal?"

He did not need to think about his answer this time.

"No."

"Oh, come on, man, I'm begging you! I've seen a few bunny girls back home, but never any cat girls like this one!"

Dennis eyed the girl he’d brought over. She was already clinging onto his arm in a way that felt less than pure. Hastings was not pushing the girl away as she gave Dennis another eerie grin.

"You really are some unique sort of pervert."

"Hey, things might go down later, right? What's so bad about getting a little tail beforehand?"

"The good Lord will likely judge you for fornication." Dennis said, forcing himself to ignore the very obvious "tail" remarks he could make, made all the more difficult as the girl’s tail swished from left to right.

"Aw, come on, Orville! You ain't doing nothin' bad by helpin' a guy out!" Hastings said, his New York accent mixing badly with his very bad attempt at a southern drawl.

Dennis, less out of kindness and more out of wanting the man out of his sight immediately, said "Okay, okay, okay, come on, jackass. I swear, if we find any jackass girls you better watch out."

Hastings scoffed while Dennis eyed the girl. She waited now, expectantly. As though she already knew…

Dennis spoke before Hastings could ask him to say something specific.

In the local tongue, he said quickly “My friend likes you.”

The cat girl smiled greatly, then asked "Name?"

"Call him whatever you want. He is shy and will not argue."

She giggled and very quickly latched onto Hastings a little tighter.

The older man winced, and said "Whoa, Orville, what did you tell her?"

"That you're a coward and that she should take pity on you. Go crazy." he sighed in a very disappointed manner.

"Yeah? Well-"

Before Hastings could finish his sentence, he found himself suppressing a scream.

The girl still clutching his arm had seriously scratched the top of his hand with her slowly retracting… nail claws?

That was new…

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"U-uh…"

The impish smile she gave him silenced him long enough for her to say "Nunc mea es tu" in a very pleasing tone as she tightly clutched his hand with her own and pressed her body against his.

Now you’re mine… oh boy.

Hastings only said, "Y-yeah… sure… why'd you have to scratch me, lady?"

Dennis eyed the pair wide-eyed but didn’t bother translating as the girl pulled Hastings away with some degree of haste to the disapproving glare of other guys in the field. The girl had clearly managed to understand the question but didn't bother asking him to explain either.

It seemed James Hastings didn't know cats marked their territory by scratching.

Outskirts of Vicenzo

Lucy listened to the message in her head as Seljuk repeated it.

Vicenzo burns by decree of the emperor. Lucretius Tullius has betrayed the Empire and its people in favor of a beast and must be treated as such.

She had no personal opinion on the matter.

But strategically, she wondered if it would be better to negotiate peace. The empire was losing quite dishonorably, and news of something like that might incite rebellion in the far corners of the reign. Coupled with these Americans possibly becoming more dominant in the region, a decisive blow against these men might be the necessary push they would need to better balance this new order of power. Still, Emperor Adrian was playing a very dangerous game, and Lucy had to wonder just what would happen if these American flying machines reached the capital.

Would they scorch even more of the land? Destroy more cities and farmland? Just how far would it go? Right now these losses could be afforded, but for how long could they keep such a war going? She pushed away the thoughts and moved to inform General Arminius Octavius.

When she moved out of the brush she hid in, she was startled to see another woman speaking with the general.

“Highness, this is not-”

“No, no, general, I understand. But if you are telling me that there are enemies in the city, does it not mean that the city should be already ablaze if their goal is to destroy us? Or the entire surrounding woodland?”

Parthea Traianus made a show of waving over the city and mountains.

“My orders-”

“Bah, I can talk to my father about orders later. Right now I want to know why your men appear to be preparing to place the city under siege.”

Lucy glanced at the fields surrounding the city of Vicenzo.

“Siege” was perhaps too generous a descriptor. There were no catapults or siege engines, no proper lines or trenches dug to ensure the siege was done properly, but with Vicenzo that would not be necessary due to its low outer wall. A city near the heart of the Empire, it had not been in danger of a siege for well over a thousand years, resulting in a small outer wall that was more to regulate who entered than to properly defend against enemy attacks.

Octavius said “I am simply following your father’s orders. I am awaiting instructions from him right now.”

“Oh, I am certain you are, general. However, these are imperial citizens, and I am of royal descent. If the enemy is in this city, calmly awaiting for word on us, then I shall go speak with them myself.”

Lucy saw Octavius open his mouth. It hung open, his eyes blinked slowly, and he seemed like he was on the verge of screaming his head off, but he remained silent. She could, however, feel his intense emotions. Anger, and frustration, all aimed at the young daughter of the Emperor. She was shorter than him. Her frizzy hair was a mess from the journey, but to her credit, she did not flinch.

Instead, the girl scoffed, then turned to one of the Legates nearby.

“Tell your legates that I am assuming command. I shall inspect the situation within Vicenzo myself. Do not move on the city unless you hear it from me.”

At this Octavius reacted.

“Under whose authority?!”

The lone female guard near the emperor’s daughter said loudly “She is the Emperor’s daughter, sir. You should know your place.”

Parthea’s grin was wide as she turned and moved to her horse. Perhaps, “swaggered” was a more appropriate description. She looked like nothing and no one could touch her, and acted as such.

That feeling of invincibility really could be the death of people…

Lucy moved closer to Octavius and asked “Shall I send another message informing the Emperor his daughter is here?”

Octavius did not react when she appeared, instead, he continued to glare at his legate for a moment. Lucy could feel something welling within as he did. The man’s anger and frustration had morphed into something else, an oily, dangerous hyperfocus of sorts that made the older general sharper than she’d want to admit.

“Who is this daughter of the Emperor, Legate? Does she have the authority she claims to have?”

Lucy raised an eyebrow, her feline ears shifting slightly as she felt the man had murderous intent with his question.

The legate did not answer but did not move to fulfill the girl’s orders, either.

Octavius scoffed and said “Ignore her command. Agent of Seljuk! What is the word from the Emperor?”

Lucy instead asked, “The Emperor is oblivious of his daughter being here?”

“Oh, his illegitimate daughter who plays with ceremonial guards?”

“The one he dotes over like any father, yes.”

Octavius glared at her.

Lucy only stared at him in silence. She gave him his warning, but it seemed to only cement his intent further.

“Did the emperor send word back?” Octavius asked.

Lucy sighed as she answered him.

“Yes. Lucretius is to be considered a traitor and Vicenzo should burn. However, if Emperor Traianus is not aware that his daughter-”

“That is enough. You heard the orders of the Emperor, Legate. Alert the archers!”

“General…” she tried finally, a last, feeble attempt at preventing what could become a catastrophe.

He ignored her.

***

Andrew Reagan watched the structures of the outer wall and the surrounding fields.

There were men of the main imperial army milling about the fields. He’d stopped counting when he got to sixty and estimated there were, maybe, twice that. He was sure any trained machine gunner could mow them down with some ease. A well-targeted mortar crew could do it in a few shots if the coordinates were proper.

However, that wasn’t the situation at present. The men on the fields were, for the most part, milling about, guarding the roads, chatting or eating, and not at all in a state of what he’d label as “prepared”. Same as them. Still, if Octavius was leading them, a part of him doubted that would last long, and as his captain inspected the fairly short city walls, he wondered how much of a defense they could muster up against a dedicated attack.

As Legate Marcius continued to explain the history of the city, with Clark occasionally translating when his captain asked, he only eyed the hills that led up the mountain range nearby. The blue sky shone over the greenery of fields that in spite of civilization’s presence had preserved a natural beauty. A deceptively peaceful one.

“But enough about this old place. Do tell of your world, young man.” Marcius said, grinning from ear to ear in a friendly matter, though his arm never left his sheathed blade.

Andrew smiled back and said “I suppose we are not that different. I know my home has fields like these, mountains like these, and to some degree people like yours.”

“Yet no demi-humans? No beastmen whatsoever?”

“No. Nowhere in our history to our knowledge.”

“Strange. They’ve always been around as far as we can remember.” He muttered, glancing down from the wall at the outer part of the city. A pair of kids with what resembled dog ears and tails chased after one another down the tight alleys; their mothers watching from nearby, tense. What tension the arrival of the Americans had given way to uncertain calm since the city did not appear to fully be under siege and, apparently, talks were about to be underway. But that feeling was no guarantee, and everyone knew it.

Marcius huffed something, then added “They are not human, much as they may appear like they are. They can farm and work, but…”

Andrew was quick to interrupt, asking “Do you see other kinds of people the same way?”

Marcius smiled and said “Perhaps. Us Imperials are, of course, above other people. Those beyond the ocean and far to the east. But the demi-humans are also beneath them. Why?”

Andrew considered the situation back home and decided to end the topic there.

“I guess we are not too different in that regard to some extent.”

Marcius laughed, but just as suddenly he became serious.

Andrew followed the man’s gaze to the field.

From one of the hills, a few horses were approaching the city, the rear one carried a banner of a lion, with the one in front led by a girl on foot, that…

Hold on…

Marcius answered before he could ask “Those are from the imperial capital!”

Clark was quick to translate, but Andrew was thinking back to Domitia, however.

There are four members of the currently alive royal family…

His captain asked, “He know who?”

Andrew asked.

“No, not from this distance.”

“Do you have a spyglass?”

“Nay.”

“Try these. Maybe you can tell us who they are.”

He handed the man his binoculars. Without a word, the man put them to his eyes and looked through them for a moment. He placed them down, then rose them back up to his eyes as if to confirm. Marcius then deflated slightly.

“Bah, Princess Parthea Traianus. Not a good sign if you ask me.”

Andrew raised an eyebrow but Marcius only moved past him while Clark translated.

“Tell your leaders that perhaps someone from the capital is here to speak. Though I would not get my hopes up.” then, to the guards below, “Open the gate!”

“Princess Parthea Traianus, huh?” Captain Thorne muttered and raised his binoculars to watch.

“Yes, captain.”

Andrew did not say anything else as the small party approached. He stayed on the wall for a moment, watching the approaching figures from the wooded hills beyond.

Clark finally spoke up, quietly speaking to him in English.

“She likes to play soldier, right? Youngest in the line?”

“Yup.”

“She’ll make a fine hostage if things go south, then. Let’s go.” The Legend said, then moved past them.

For once, no one spoke further as they moved to the entrance of the city and waited. The gate was made up of a pair of large, wooden doors, albeit not at all heavy ones. He figured a lone grenade would blow them off their hinges as the two guards pulled them open.

When the girl ahead of the group finally got to the entrance and saw these strange men in odd uniforms, she froze up, her hand raised and mouth open as though she were about to make an announcement. She wore typical armor like the other imperials, though no helmet. Same for the young lady on the horse she led.

Princess Parthea Traianus took a second longer to realize what was ahead of them.

Before anyone could greet each other, however, one of the guards shouted “Arrows!”

The party glanced at the man on the wall in confusion, but Andrew and the others were staring wide-eyed at the hills.

A wave of small dots rose toward the sky rapidly. A black swarm which began to quickly close the distance between them as it began a rapid descent. A distant horn echoed and Andrew felt his heart sink as he ducked down along with his guys, sheltering behind the wall.

“Down!” Marcius shouted before ducking away.

Andrew heard arrows hit and people scream.

Imperial Capital

Seljuk silently considered the information Lucy had sent him.

Parthea Traianus is here, demanding to speak to the enemy. Octavius has gone ahead with attacking Vicenzo. She is in the line of danger.

With a flick of his tail, he reached for a quail, and with his hand, he grabbed some parchment from his table. On it, he began to write more and more information down. Possibilities. Variables. Benefits. Threats. Risks. If the Emperor truly cared not, which he doubted, then this would have to be played cautiously. However…

He sighed, settling on a decision.

Then, to Lucy, he sent her another message.

Observe. If she lives or dies, we can benefit. Stay out of danger and report to me every event as you see it.

Then he crumpled up his written thoughts and tossed them into a torchlight.