I awoke the next morning to a still silence in the air. I couldn't recall if I had any dreams the night before, at some point in the night, as I lay in bed. I closed my eyes, and now the sun's rays were hitting me in the face.

Great. I don't even get to enjoy my rest. I sighed softly as I began to climb out of bed. Well, today is the day we leave. I thought as I stared up at the ceiling.

Sitting up, I stretched and let off a squeaky yawn before scratching my chest and neck. Standing up, I walked to the window and saw that it was lightly drizzling outside, our front lawn was caked in mud, and the dirt highway was practically a small river.

I took a deep breath and opened my window. The smell of fresh spring air wafted into my room as I hummed softly and spent a moment listening to the rain. My ears twitched as I saw an arc of lightning above, followed by a clap of thunder seconds later.

I love rain. The sound, the water, and even just the feeling of reaching out and having the droplets fall onto my arms was something I enjoyed deeply for some reason. Yet, not this time. As I was getting comfortable with the ambiance while getting ready to dress myself, I noticed that mixed with the thunder were distant sounds of battle. I could distinctly make out booms of what sounded like a volley of artillery fire, and the faint cracks of small arms, along with something else. Something more, surreal. Spells?

But mother said the border was far away. It hasn’t even been a full day. How could there be fighting so close?

My stomach sank, and I could feel my anxiety starting to settle in. Not wanting to waste time, I closed my window and proceeded to get dressed. Today I decided to go back to wearing a comfortable blue dress with a knee-length skirt and vest. I chose to go with black stockings and my usual boots today. Once I was comfortable, I spent some time brushing my hair, debating in the meantime whether I should cut it or not.

During this time, I could hear Varis waking up and shuffling downstairs after dressing. I also noticed my parents' room was silent, which meant they were most likely awake. Taking note of this, I finished brushing my hair and proceeded to make my way down the stairs.

Coming down into the living room, I found it to be empty, yet past the entryway on the far end leading into the kitchen, I could see my father reading this morning's newspaper, along with the smell of bacon and eggs wafting into my nose. My mouth watered slightly, and my stomach grumbled as I shuffled into the entryway and saw Varis sitting beside our father, listening to him as he read the paper out loud.

"Thunder of War: Kaiser's Rejection Ignites Rusimian Onslaught; Global Allies Convene Emergency Summit." Father sighed.

"Well, the news is out." He muttered and continued.

"In an unprecedented and ominous turn of events, our leader, Kaiser Brikur Lirner, defiantly rejected Rusimia's ultimatum yesterday, unleashing a furious statement that reverberated across diplomatic corridors. In a scathing response, he declared the ultimatum an affront to Heinmarr's sovereignty and vowed that our glorious nation would never bow to Rusimian expansionism.

However, defiance turned to despair as, within hours, Empress Natasha Tarasovna officially declared war on Heinmarr, plunging our two nations into a conflict that threatened to reshape the geopolitical landscape. As the ink on the declaration dried, the Rusivite dogs wasted no time, pushing across the Strickland Line with relentless determination.

What was once considered an impenetrable barrier since the Twilight War, the Strickland Line is now pounded relentlessly under the thunderous guns of the Rusivite forces. Local border towns, including Nelina, Malreen, and Brugven, bear the brunt of the onslaught, prompting immediate evacuation as refugees stream away from the encroaching combat zone.

Reports from the front lines speak of intense and chaotic clashes as our soldiers, our brave heroes, attempt to stem the Rusimian tide. The skies are filled with the acrid scent of war, and the land quivers beneath the boots of advancing armies. The Strickland Line, a symbol of our nation's strength, faces its most formidable test.

Meanwhile, in the diplomatic chambers of the Global Allied Nations, an emergency summit has been called to address the rapidly unfolding crisis. Representatives from allied nations converge in Frangor to discuss a unified response against Rusimian aggression. The world watches with bated breath as the fate of our nation hangs in the balance and the clarion call of war echoes across borders.

I, Howard Krissler, with The World Today, will be sure to keep you all… Blah blah…"

Father sighed, set the newspaper down, and glanced at me as I stood in the doorway. "Good morning, Luna. Take a seat; your mother is getting breakfast ready."

"I'm almost finished up." Mother called from over her shoulder as she worked the range.

"So people are actually fighting?" Varis asked softly, yawned, and then looked at Father with a nervous expression.

"I'm afraid so." Papa took a deep breath. "But don't worry. When Isa gets here, we'll be hopping in the wagon and getting out."

Varis nodded slowly as I glanced around. "Where's Isa now?" I asked.

Papa bit his lower lip. "I don't know, and that's what scares me. She took Ruby with her yesterday and was supposed to be back."

Mother came over to the table and began to set our breakfast in front of us—scrambled goocha eggs and juni strips—the closest you can get to an American breakfast in this world, which I immediately began to partake in.

"Well, seeing the news here, I wouldn't be surprised if Oren is in chaos right now." Mother sighed. "Though she is a resourceful woman, I'm sure she'd be back here shortly.

"Let's hope so." Father muttered as we all sat together and began to eat.

Like the night before, nothing was said. An eerie silence intermixed with the sounds of utensils scraping our plates and soft chewing was all there was to hear. I nervously glanced up from my plate and looked at each of my family members.

Father's face was steeled, and he barely blinked as his eyes shifted slightly, almost as if he were imagining something in his head.

My mother seemed calm, though I could barely see her ears twitching at the slightest bit of noise.

Like me, Varis looked concerned as he and I shared eye contact. His blue-green eyes were shifting from our parents back to me.

I gave him a gentle smile, hoping to reassure him, and glanced back down at my food.

It is best to try to stay calm. I thought to myself. As much as leaving here stinks, it's best to go. But we have to stay strong when we do. For now, let's enjoy our breakfast.

Nodding to myself, I stabbed one of the pieces of bacon on my plate and—

Loud banging came from our back door in rapid succession. Three heavy slams sent my father up, right along with my mother. Turning to us, Papa gestured for Varis and me to move back.

"Open the door, please!" Isa's voice shouted from behind. "I have a wounded man!"

"What in the hells?" Father looked to Mother, who quickly turned and ran for the healer kit as he went to the door. "Kids, clear the table; take your food into the living room." Father instructed.

My heart raced rapidly in my chest, and not wanting to question, I got up and grabbed my plate along with Varis, and we began to take everything into the living room.

Over my shoulder, I watched as Father opened the door just as Isa, along with a man draped over her shoulder, spilled into the room. Collapsing onto one knee in the kitchen, the serelli woman panted as Father helped her and the mystery man up off the ground.

"Who is that?" Varis whispered beside me and I shrugged and shook my head.

The man mentioned was human; from what I could tell, like the soldiers we saw, he wore a drab gray and yellow uniform. Yet it was scorched and worn. I swore I could smell smoke. Parts of it were torn, like his left sleeve, which was almost entirely gone; instead, I saw his bare arm red and charred, puss-ridden, and the skin peeling away. His hair was blonde and disheveled, his skin a light tan, speckled with muck and blood.

The sight alone made my stomach churn, and looking at my eggs, I no longer wanted to eat.

"Help me get him on the table!" Isa said as Father nodded.

"Varis, Luna, I said clear the table!" Father ordered us again, and we nodded and ran in to help clear off the table entirely as Isa and Papa lifted the man onto it.

Immediately after, Mother ran over with a fresh scroll in hand and began to look over the man. Isa came up beside her and began to point.

"His left arm is horribly burned; he has multiple lacerations on his back as well as a few bolt wounds along his right side, which thankfully look to have missed vital organs. I was able to stop most of the bleeding on the road, but it's still bad." She looked to Mother. "Do you think you can fix this?"

Mother glanced at her scroll and said, "I think so. Give me some time. Both of you, leave me with him, but stay close." Mother gestured for Father and Isa to step out of the room.

Both of them nodded and came into the living room with Varis and me. "What's happening?" Varis asked confused as I was, and I shrugged.

"Where did you find this guy?" Father asked Isa. "I thought you were doing something in Oren?"

"I had a change of plans," Isa said. "Something else came up that I needed to tend to, and I made a detour." She ran her hand through her red hair before stuffing both of them into the pockets of her jacket.

"To where the front?" Papa asked sarcastically.

Isa side-eyed him and shrugged. "Not intentionally."

Okay, what? I thought as I came up beside Father, who simply gawked.

"A friend of mine in town asked me to make a night run to Lichtenau, the small village a few hours from here to the east."

Lichtenau—that's the closest village to Oren if I recall.

"Why were you—"

Father started, but Isa silenced him. "I was doing a job. Which I was unable to finish because I encountered this young man. I don't know his name, but he has a patch that reads, 'Lochte'. When I found him, he had passed out and hadn't woken up since. He was riding a strider, a dead gallop, faster than I had ever seen a man ride those things towards me. He was shouting something, and then abruptly, his dragon gave out to exhaustion, and he collapsed. Amazingly, he suffered no other injuries from the fall aside from a few scrapes and bruises. I tried to bring his dragon along, yet the thing, like him, was heavily injured and too tired to move. Yet the beast let me take him and bring him here."

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Did you hear what he was screaming?" I asked.

Isa shook her head. "No, he was too far even for me to fully make out."

"He could be a messenger." Father tapped his chin. "Though I don't see why, most likely the brass would have magisters capable of sending long-form communication."

Isa shrugged. "Perhaps. Old-form messengers are still viable; well-trained magisters can pick up on archaic communication."

"If that's the case, then this is even more concerning." Father shook his head and looked to the kitchen.

"Cailynn, how is he?" Papa asked as a faint green flash came from the kitchen.

"He's healing, but many of these wounds will require some components. I'll say though, this boy is tough; I'm shocked he's even breathing." Mother admitted it, and both Varis and I gulped. "Give me a couple more minutes, and I can probably rouse him."

My father sighed and stroked his goatee as he turned away. "This doesn't make sense, though. The border of Rusimia is about five days away, a bit less on a strider. How in the hells could he make it from there to here?"

"Because he most likely didn't come from the border," Isa said gravely. "He's probably from a base closer to here."

"A command center…" Father sighed and then cursed under his breath. "If that's the case, how in the hell are the Rusivites moving that fast?"

Isa shrugged. "I don't know."

Varis reached over and took my hand. "Are you okay, Luna?" He asked me, and I blinked and looked at him.

I hadn't realized it, but my hands were shaking. I took a deep breath to calm myself and smiled at my brother. "I am now; thank you."

Varis returned his smile, wrapped his arm around me, and pulled me in close against his side. I blushed faintly and returned his one-arm hug.

Despite putting on a strong face, the pit in my stomach was growing deeper, and the anxiety was even worse. Though feeling my brother hold me so close was enough to make the spread of it stop, I sighed softly as we watched and listened to Isa and Father speculate.

Yet after a few moments, my mother called to us. "He's waking up."

----------------------------------------

Upon seeing the soldier, now sat up in a chair and feverishly drinking water, I was able to confirm that this man was not a man but a boy. The kid was barely even seventeen. I learned from school that the adult age is considered to be sixteen in Heinmarr. He was handsome, if not a bit dirty due to the hell he's been through; like our father, he had striking green eyes. His blonde hair was short and messy, and his overall stature was well-built, most likely due to the rigorous training.

The majority of his wounds had been healed by my mother, though the scars from the burns on his arm weren't all gone, and the way he moved and winced, I could tell he was sore all over.

We had gathered around him at the kitchen table, with the boy across from us. "As said," my father spoke, "you're at the Ashflow residence in the village of Oren. The Third Brigade has set up a forward operating base here for General Holser."

"H-How long, how long was I out for?" The soldier, Lochte, sputtered and drank more water. "I-I need to warn them."

"You rode with me for about four hours throughout the night," Isa yawned while she scratched her neck.

Lochte immediately dropped his cup and gripped the sides of his head, and we all stood up and backed away. "No! No! I don't think I have enough time!"

Papa stepped forward. "Time for what? What's happening out there?"

The soldier trembled and looked at us, his eyes vacant. "The Rusivites, the Rusivites are coming rapidly." He bit his lower lip. "It happened so suddenly; we were caught off guard. I heard fighting was happening on the front, and rumor had it things were getting hairy. I-I was in Malreen helping with the evacuation. Wh-when the skyships arrived. And I'm not talking about your typical airships, Mr. Ashflow; I'm talking dreadnoughts in the sky."

"Flying dreadnoughts?" Papa leaned back.

Lochte nodded. "Aye, Sir. Massive fortresses that rained hell down upon all of us forced us to take shelter in the cellars as they flattened the entire village. When we came out, smaller ships were landing in the fields, yet there were no soldiers they were dropping off Mr. Ashflow, sir but demons."

We all didn't say anything and looked at one another. "Speak plainly, son," my father said as he turned to the boy again. "You don’t mean fiends do you?"

He shook his head. "Apologies, no. But they fought like demons; it was… machines. Fighting machines. Yet we saw no man piloting them. They walk like arachnai are as tall as this house!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" My mother mumbled as she listened.

"The things came to life after the skyships dropped them in the field. They rose up on their legs and began to patrol the ruined streets. I tell you, Mister, I ain't lying. That's actually what happened."

Both Isa and Mother looked at me; my stomach had dropped to my core by this point. My mouth had dried upon hearing the story.

“Some kind of autonomous archeo-machine?” My mother said. “Like a harvester?” She asked and the soldier shook his head.

"Did you and the men try and fight back?" Father asked and Lochte cringed.

"Aye, sir, we did. We blasted the bastards with thunder spears when they got close. Kensley… I hope he's still alive; he tripped one. Scored a shot right into one of its leg joints when it came over the rubble we were hiding behind. Yet all that did was slow it down. Those things are armed to the teeth; they have rapid-firing rifles; within seconds, they fire an entire volley's worth of forty men, I tell you. Anyone who so much as poked their head out is turned into a red mist, and those hiding in houses." Lochte trailed off. "They unleashed hell's fire on them. Some sort of magical beam of heat that just melts and scorches everything."

"Like a demon," Father muttered.

Lochte nodded. "And the sounds they make—a scary howl. Like the sounds of the dead. It terrified us, so we ran. We ran, Mr. Ashflow." He trembled. "I grabbed the nearest strider I could and ran. I told myself I was going to alert the superiors! Yet…"

My father grabbed him by the shoulder. "You still have time, son. Cailynn. Grab Ruby and hitch her to the wagon. I'll get…" He looked at the soldier. "What’s your name soldier?"

"Peter, my name is Peter Lochte," Peter said with a nod.

Father smiled. "Well, Peter, I'm Slyran, my wife is Cailynn, and the one who saved you is Isa. These two are my children, Luna and Varis." We all gave him a small wave as Mother took Isa outside to get the wagon ready.

"Pleasure to meet you all, and thank you for saving me." Peter bowed his head, but my Father shook his head.

"No, no need to bow. We should be thanking you; you have gone through hell, and what you know is very valuable—"

"Slyran, Slyran!" Mother’s shouts from the outside sounded terrified and she threw open the back door moments after she and Isa left.

My heart sank with my stomach as Varis and I backed up as Mother stood in the door frame, pale and wide-eyed. "Grab what you can; load it in the wagon now! We need to go now!"

"What's wrong?" Father straightened up as Peter also stood up.

"They're here." Peter muttered. "Listen."

My eyes widened, and my heart began to race faster.

No, no, no, this is too fast. What does he mean? What does he mean?

My ears twitched, and faintly, through the open door. A steady thrum could be heard, along with the sound of multiple thumpings.

Without a word, Father turned to us. "Go outside with your mother! Get on the wagon."

Varis gripped my hand tight as I muttered, "But I thought we'd be leaving tomorrow."

"Come on, Luna!" Varis said as he pulled me towards Mother we stepped out into the muddy yard as the run gently trickled down.

Upon stepping outside, I could hear it now. A low steady thrum of what sounded like dozens of plane engines, yet when looking to the sky, I couldn't see anything.

Where is it? Where are they coming from?

"They're above the clouds," Isa shouted as if reading my mind. She was across the yard by the cabin where the wagon was set. Pointing above at the dark clouds somewhere to the east.

I had to squint as I focused, and barely, just barely, I could see the shadowy shapes of large vessels drifting amongst the clouds. There were dozens of them. Mother quickly ushered Varis and me over to the wagon as Isa broke off and went to grab Ruby, who was hitched to the tree.

The dragon was frantic, squawking and pulling at the reins; even she knew something was wrong. Somewhere off in the direction of town, I could hear a loud bell chiming, followed by distant shouting as the magically enhanced voices of magisters shouted out in alarm.

Varis and I rushed to the wagon and climbed onto it, where I saw already-packaged supplies that Mother and I had prepared the other day. I lowered my head beneath the crates and shivered as my heart continued to race.

"Why is this happening?" I said it softly, and Varis looked at me. "This wasn't supposed to happen till later; we were supposed to leave tomorrow!"

Fear began to grip me. I tried my best to calm down, yet the sound of the thrumming engines and the shouting in the distance overtook whatever I tried to do. Varis clenched my hand.

"I-I know it's scary, Luna. But don't panic." Varis smiled as I heard Mother shout in draconian at Ruby as she and Isa wrangled the creature over to the wagon.

"Careful, be careful now!" I heard Isa say as they quickly fastened the beast to the wagon.

I peeked out over the box as Father rushed out of the house with Peter behind him. The men were carrying a few extra cases of luggage as well as Papa's lever rifle. As Papa ran towards the wagon, a loud claxon alarm began to echo from the town of Oren, which only fueled my anxiety further.

"Shit, they're coming down!" Isa shouted as she climbed into the driver seat of the wagon as Mother hopped in behind. Looking up at the sky, I whined with fear as I saw massive zeppelins armed with weapons and cannons gradually descend from the sky in an almost graceful fashion.

"Alright, alright, go! Giddy up!" Father shouted as he hopped in and flicked Ruby's reins.

Just as the wagon began to move, Peter hopped in with assistance from my mother. Suddenly, a haunting bellow erupted from the zeppelins above.

"What's happening?!" I panicked as from the sides of the airships came these wing-like appendages that began to unfold from its belly and extend outwards. Attached to the wings, I saw large containers, and it was here that it clicked, and the fear settled in.

They're going to fire upon the town.

"Mr. Ashflow keep moving! Do not stop!"

"I know that already!" Father snapped from over his shoulder as he flicked the reins once more, and Ruby began to quickly sprint down the dirt road towards town.

"What're you doing?! They're going to bomb the town!" Peter exclaimed.

I began to whimper, crawled towards Mother, and clung to her.

"I know that!" Father shouted, "But this wagon can't go off-road!" The wagon bounced and groaned as we went over hard rocks jutting out of the mud. "Up ahead, there's an offchute we can take to the Kenchala River!"

"Citizens of Oren" A man's voice boomed from the town. "Seek shelter immediately. Seek shelter immediately! This is not a test!"

I could hardly breathe. I couldn't breathe.

With her arms wrapped around me tight, my mother cooed softly. "It'll be okay, dear. I got you—"

Suddenly, the zeppelins were lit with fire. Rocketing forth from the containers on the wings, dozens of missiles, all lit with red fire, launched forth. Screeching howls deafened all as hundreds of rockets slammed into the fields, tents, and buildings.

The earth shook, and Ruby screamed along with all of us. The world began to rain hell down upon us. Father yanked the reins to the left, forcing Ruby to take us off the road and into the mud-caked fields as a rocket struck the highway yards ahead of us, showering us with smoldering rubble and debris.

As we screamed and covered our heads, Mother held one hand high above and began to chant. "By Merlin's grace, a shield to weave, in his wisdom, protection I receive. Bubble, guard us in this hour from harm's embrace and crushing power! Bubble!" Her eyes flashed white, and a glistening aura in a spherical shape wrapped around our wagon as it rolled across the soak field.

I screamed as another rocket slammed into the earth just a few yards away. The force of the blast crashed into the side of our cart, forcing us to swerve. Yet Ruby, in all her great glory, kept herself steady and forced us forward. Yet what amazed me the most was that the spell my mother had cast had deflected all the shrapnel.

"Good, girl!" Father laughed nervously and cheered as the wagon bounced once more upon making contact with the dirt off-chute road he mentioned. Behind us, more rockets flew over, slamming into open fields and even the nearby forest.

"Is it me, or can the Rusivites not aim worth shit?" Father mocked.

"It's not that they can't aim, Mr. Ashflow." Peter said, "It's that they don't have to!" He pointed back toward the town that was now behind us. Already, the small village I was reborn into was up in flames.

The large town hall, the front half of which exploded outward, burned as more rockets continued to rain down all around us. I could see panicked people rushing towards their homes, while others risked it by running through farm fields. Striders and other farm animals ran in every direction. Yet we kept moving forward.

"We can't stop moving." Peter said. "If this is anything like Malreen, they'll bomb the town, and then the smaller ships will unleash the demons to clean up the rest."

"So we keep moving!" Father growled. "We get to the Kenchala River, and we wait for Hautchkins and Olson. It'll be nightfall by the time we reach it."

"No, we keep moving through the night," Peter said. "If we stop and sleep, the demons—those fighting machines I mentioned—will be on us!"

I whimper and sniffle as I cling to my mother tightly and glance up to see Isa looking at me. "Luna, that vision you had," she said. "Does this fighting machine sound like that monster?"

I sniffed and coughed before nodding, "Yes."

Peter turned to me. "Have you seen these things?"

"It's a long story," my mother said bluntly.

"I understand it'll be dangerous, Corporal." Father said this from over his shoulder as he glanced at the boy's torn uniform. "But I don't think Ruby can make it through the night pulling this cart alone. I'd rather have a rested ride than have her collapse from exhaustion if we try to outrun these monsters you keep talking about— Watch out!"

Father screamed as we all dove down in the wagon as another rocket screamed over ahead and crashed into the road right beside us. The explosion blew my eardrums as the wagon was hoisted off the ground, and I felt weightless…

Then everything went dark, and I lost consciousness.

End of Part One