Mike sat silently on a small hill that his fireteam was currently holed up in. His current mission was one with cooperation from the 13th Air Combat Corps, the current mission was to oversee and protect friendly forces trying to contact possible enemy forces in plains below.
It was a simple order, one that held the fate of the world. From what he understood, the men within the 13th Air Combat Corps were looking for a fight, yet their directives prevented them from engaging the enemy that just so happened to wander near the Federation’s southern border with an army counting over three thousand.
Intelligence provided by the NIA and OHFI provided the basic information regarding a convoy that would be passing through the area to establish a forward operating base. The contents of the convoy were unknown, but outside of building materials and other necessary supplies, it would be easy to assume that there would be some from of commanding officer even if it was a knight from the kingdom.
Conduction a possible ambush and vehicle interdiction was already as substantial risk, but the possibility of all-out war made the odds tilt in the favor of the kingdom.
“Can’t say that I’m onboard with the idea that we’re not with them down there.” A voice broke the silence, a young one.
“If we’re all down there, we might just get caught up in a firefight. Our numbers might provoke them.” Corporal Richard responded flexing his jaw after he was finished speaking.
“I don’t like this situation any more than you both do.” Captain Thompson sighed as he chamber-checked his rifle before moving back to looking through his binoculars. “But we need to keep it together. If they get caught in a fight, every shot counts, understood?”
“Understood, sir.” Being the only one to answer, Mike bided his time as he shifted to the right side of the small mound they were on. Reaching a small set of rocks in the ground, he re-entered the prone position as he crawled onto the rocks giving him a clear line of sight onto the field below. He looked through the holographic sight atop his rifle and quietly scanned the area placing his crosshair on the distant convoy several times while determining the range they were at. He considered activating his NODS as they were made to properly adjust the light exposure from the moon and the sun, but he decided against it opting to safe the battery life it had.
Positioning himself between two rocks overlooking the field, Mike settled down as he positioned himself to where the rocks would protect him from any stray rounds or shrapnel that could possibly land in his general area. Observing the lands below him, he spotted the dust cloud of the princess and her fireteam racing across the dirt and grass. With Corporal Richard taking the lead and riding at the front of the triangle formation, the other men flanked the princess’s sides as they provided a wide degree of protection; they were lucky enough to have the rest of the squadron provide their protection from any rear threats.
“Someone spot the distance they’re at?” Baker asked as he adjusted the magnification of the scope atop his rifle. He gently turned the knob as he placed his crosshair ahead of the formation racing into the unknown.
“Around three-hundred feet, We’re not too far away.” Simon chirped using the scattered trees and rocks as landmarks to range the formation.
“Not bad kid.” Baker chuckled.
“Hey eyes up!” Captain Thompson ordered, “We have possible targets moving to intercept them!”
- - -
In the warm afternoon, a colorful world was revealed from the sprawling forests; white flowers, butterflies, bees, deer, and high above endless waves of white birds, and large, majestic beasts that had been tamed by humanity. The sun looked upon the lands below and provided a calming wind providing the peaceful environment that would supplement the intense confrontation that was about to happen.
Surrounded by her riflemen, Leccamaradel let the wind push her along her path. White and pink petals were thrown as her fireteam’s horses prowled over the plains surrounded by the large sprawling hills. Ahead of their path a group of twelve riders rapidly approached their positions, each wielding or readying their weapons making her men do the same.
“Contact in thirty seconds!” Richard shouted as he loaded a grenade into the launcher under his rifle. Behind him, Malkovich and Patterson held their rifles as the group began to collectively slow down reaching a clear opening within the fields.
The atmosphere around the four grew tense as they came to a halt no less than ten meters away from their advisories. The lead rider on the other side studied them as his men shifted in uncomfortably; his brown hair gently shifted in the calm wind as several pink petals flew by his side and descended towards the dirt just a foot away. Raising his hand and clenching his fist, he trusted his left arm towards the ground giving the order for his men to dismount. Two armed men wearing what looked to be heavy metal plates around their chest stepped forward keeping their hand nearest to their blades ready; the rest stayed next to their mounts.
“Dismount your horses!” The man barked as he spoke to the princess and her fireteam.
Following the man’s orders, the three riflemen formed a protective barrier around Princess Leccamaradel as she stepped forward with her right hand clutching the wooden rifle slung around her arm. Patterson was the one providing the way to reach the large group of knights and soldiers before them, both of his hands remained on the weapon he held, yet he never dared to raise it as he stopped just five meters away from the man that had called out to them.
Removing himself from his mount, the older man stepped forward with his two guards. His eyes studied the four before him and he remained in control of his confusion and emotions. His hand brushed over the tall grass next to him. “Who are you people?” He asked in a calm voice letting his hand fall to his side. “Those weapons…” He murmured before watching the young man at the head of the group step aside revealing a woman with silver-hair.
“My name is Leccamaradel. I’ve come as a representative to you, the army of the Kingdom of Yondel.” The woman spoke firmly and with confidence making the men behind the leader of the calvary shift in confusion and discomfort. Noticing how the men were reacting to her words, the princess silently gulped as she proceeded with her introduction, “I’ve been sent by the Federation of Zivaland to help set up communications with you all with the hopes of finding the answers to the questions that the Federation has recently found.”
Adjusting the fur coat he wore, the man that led the men nodded. “Princess Araish, I’m Knight Commander Leonardo Holt. We’ve been sent by the king to rescue you from the Frontier.” His words froze the group standing a head of the old man as he gently eyed the men surrounding the princess.
Easing the tension held throughout their bodies, Patterson was the first to drop his rifle by his side as he took a gentle breath as his counterparts behind the Knight Commander slowly removed their hands from the hilt of their short swords.
Neither group held hostility. The seemingly impossible had been achieved from just mere sentences exchanged between two leaders. High above the wyverns slowly broke away from the airspace and returned to their lands to recover from the long patrol. In a similar manner, Sergeant Malkovich turned around and presented a thumbs up to Thompson’s fireteam which slowly backed down from their ambush positions.
Taken aback by what Commander Holt had just revealed, Lecca took a short breath, “To save us?” She questioned shaking her head trying to make sense of why they were to be recalled back to the Kingdom now.
“Not the Holy Knights, no. You, yes.” The older man said with a curt nod as the riflemen looked between each other completely shocked. Expecting a simple answer to his proposition, Commander Holt was shocked when Lecca responded to his words.
“No, not without them.” She declared much to the surprise of her kingdom’s knights standing across from her.
“What do you mean, princess?”
“These people are critical to the survival of our nation, and I still have a promise to uphold.” Lecca stated while looking at the commander in the eyes. Though as a Chieftain she would never outrank the man to order him, it was the princess who was speaking, not the militarized girl she had been raised as.
Falling silent, the commander dwelled over the young woman’s demands. It was a simple compromise, bring back the “Reclaimers” as they’ve been called in the Frontier, and present them to the king alongside the princess. Yet, the orders provided to him by Harbinger Udine Oliver stated that the Reclaimers were to be left within the “Hostile Lands” if found alive.
“Reavers!”
A single shout awoke everyone.
Moving swiftly and securing a three-sixty-degree shield around the princess, Patterson looked towards the distant hills; through his rifle scope he watched as a large purple orb encapsulated the entire area including the hill Thompson’s team sat upon. To his side, the knight commander and his men withdrew their swords as they formed a perimeter around their horses waiting for the enemy to approach them.
“That fucker just say, Reavers!?” Richard exclaimed as he unfolded the metal sight to his grenade launcher. His frustration was shared amongst his fellow Rangers as they recalled the fight within the kingdom’s capital not several months ago in the late fall.
“Lieutenant, give me a sit-rep!” Shouting over the radio, Thompson’s voice was drowned out by a flurry of gunshots that echoed from the nearby hill. Muzzle flashes lit up from several spots along the distant green hill but were quickly hidden as the orb casted away the sunlight leaving the area in a hazy darkness. Not knowing if the captain was dead or alive, Patterson responded, “Reavers captain! They’re back!” He said loudly. Turning his head to his fellow men he shouted a single word, “NODs!” Lowering and activating the goggles strapped to the top of his ballistic helmet, the Lieutenant and his men activated their goggles once more staring into the white-hot phosphorus picture.
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Forgoing her wooden rifle in favor of materializing her lever-action rifle, Lecca formed a white bullet in her right hand. Pressing the “last” bullet into the magazine tube, she cocked the gun and held it above her shoulder with a single hand. “Prepare for battle!” She barked as the knights on the other side moved forward preparing magic spells in their palms.
“Why now!?” This is so fucking inconvenient!” Richard complained as he spotted a shadow moving across the distorted fields.
“Shut it! How many!?” Patterson ordered aiming his M-5 at the closest target, a purple sludge crawling over the decaying grass.
“Unknown…” Malkovich hummed as he slipped his finger around the trigger of his rifle.
“Open up!”
From those two words, a storm of bullets emerged from the barrels of the five weapons within the circle. Lead spilled in all directions, and a single explosion emerged from the ground where a pack of shadows waited. High above, scattering rays of pure mana fell from the heavens as Lecca relentlessly fired her rifle into the air, creating shards of magic.
Consolidating their fire, the kingdom’s soldiers joined in the fray as they released their spells creating walls of smoke, ash, and bodies. Amiss the chaos, the fireteam began to move to the center of the perimeter formed by the soldiers diverting their firepower alongside their medieval brethren. Working alongside Commander Holt, an unknown sludge broke through the defensive line and split off three appendages that pierced three of soldiers that were trying to combat it with fire.
Tapping the commander’s shoulder, Lecca motioned for him to press forward to a wooden cart that was just ahead, “With me!” She shouted providing suppressing fire as she moved to the cart with Commander Holt leading the way casting several spells. Not leaving her flanks exposed, Malkovich and two other men kept the enemy off their backs.
Being the first in line, Commander Holt ready his sword as he used it to deflect the appendages staggering the sludge ahead. “I’ll give you an opening!” He said reaching into the satchel on the side of his body and revealing a small metal pistol similar in design to that of a sailor’s flintlock pistol. Rushing firing three ice shards from the weapon, Lecca positioned herself on the wooden cart as she focused her rifle dead-center on the target.
“Remember, take the slack off the trigger and breathe…Then, pull…”
Taking Thompson’s words to heart, the silver-haired sniper followed the steps to the letter as she watched the commander cut of the appendages that the Reaver had summoned, she gently squeezed the trigger as the older man backed off leaving her to do the rest.
Keeping her rifle steady, there was little sway as the bullet being contacted by the firing pin let loose the bullet encapsulated within. As the small projectile exited the blocky barrel, a rush of gas followed the bullet as it flew into the flesh of the sludge in a mere second. Blood from the being splattered onto the decaying grass below painting the strands of glass in a purple hue as they shifted in the wind.
With a gaping hole being left in the center of the monster, it crumpled to the ground and dissolved into a fine dust. Confirming that the monster had been eliminated by the precise shot, Lecca and Commander Holt soon turned back to their men who were mopping up the remaining Reavers that had appeared.
“Something’s not right. These monsters shouldn’t have been held off so easily.” Fearing the worse from such an easy fight, Holt remained cautious as he gently holstered his pistol within the satchel on his side.
“Check ammo!” Lieutenant Patterson said loudly to his men. Removing magazines, chambering bolts, and feeling up magazines, the three riflemen all called their statuses, “green”. They all called out.
Letting his weapon fall across his chest, the Lieutenant kept it secure with his left hand as he walked up to the princess and commander who were looking upon the injured from their spot at the head of the perimeter. “We have an issue.” He began while turning around and pointing at the sky, “Last time, that hazy bubble disappeared.”
“Indeed.” Lecca shook her head raising her head to clutch the area where a small pain had formed on her forehead, “Yet, it hasn’t.”
Watching her men stepp up behind the Lieutenant, Lecca turned to the commander who was now deep in thought as he ran a hand through the rough beard he wore. “There are two reasons for our presence here.” He said slowly as he reached into his coat and grasped a small cube. “We were to investigate an unknown anomaly that had been reported by the civilians of the Frontier.” He admitted as he motioned for Lecca to take the cube. “Take this. It’s already reacting to the environment we’re in, so if you can use it, use it to save your lives.”
“Understood, commander.” Lecca sheepishly said taking the object and holding it gently in her hands as she stared into the blue light that emerged from the top of the cube.
A howling noise emerged from afar. Turning to the noise, the silver-haired princess could only purse her lips as she looked to the distant hill her partner and Thompson were on being swarmed by the Reavers that rushed over the open fields racing to kill them.
“Holy shit…” Richard spouted.
“No one could survive that.” Malkovich commented as he lowered his rifle by his leg and fell to his knees. Defeat was plastered over his face as he rubbed a spot on his face shifting his helmet. “How many is that?” He asked in a quiet voice looking up to the distorted sky.
“To many.” Patterson cut in this time as looked a deathly pale while his brown eyes scanned over the horde that was rapidly approaching. His hands moved like they were caught in a tremor, and he smacked his lips and blinked several times as if he were having a difficult time understanding that the sight before him was real. Gathering himself, he walked forward and patted Malkovich on the shoulder.
Seeing his superiors moving to the front leaving behind Lecca and the commander, Richard spared a single glance before he marched with his brothers to the front making the princess chase after them. The cube in her hand was growing more unstable by the second as she weaved her way from the knights and soldiers moving to hold their ground once more.
Holding his rifle firmly, Patterson breathed quietly as he could feel Malkovich and Richard pat the American flag he carried on his back. “Let’s give these bastards a taste of true bravery.” He said boldly making the nearby knights and soldiers grow quiet.
“Or a dumb last stand.” Richard snickered.
“Perhaps this will be a bold testament to what we’ve done here? Though I doubt anyone from this world or our own would remember us…” Malkovich said his thoughts aloud.
“Enough with the poetics. We have a job to do.”
Remaining silent, Lecca dematerialized her lever-action rifle and picked up the cold wooden gun sitting on her horse. Firmly securing the strap over her shoulder, the shouts of the soldiers’ castings spells and diverting all ranged magical casters to the front of the defensive perimeter pounded in her ears as she narrowed her eyes taking her spot at the head of her fireteam. Moving behind her men, Commander Holt made himself known as he stepped beside the princess looking out towards the wave of Reavers closing on their position. Clouds of dirt and dust kicked up from the ground and body parts were spread across the large fields letting off a strong stench that made him cover his nose momentarily.
Removing his hand from his face, the commander growled at the sight of his men desperately sending wave-after-wave of magic spells to an unbeatable foe that held together the very fabric of reality. “That cube is a portal of some kind.” He suddenly spoke up making the princess freeze and look at her thumb which laid atop the center of the object. “We don’t know where it leads, nor who made it. On the other side is a field, we’ve retrieved objects from it with the help from our mages, but we yet know if a human can pass through alive.”
As the screams from the commander’s men intensified as the first group came into close combat, amber ashes were scattered throughout the distorted sky letting an idea appear into Lecca’s mind. With her free hand she withdrew the flare she was given by Major Williams and pointed it to the sky making the men beside her freeze.
“Araish!” Patterson yelled. “What the hell are you doing!?” He barked, panic setting into his voice.
“Plan B!” She said back releasing the red projectile from the compact tube it was held in. The surrounding area was lit in a bright red light as blood and body matter was spilt onto the ground. As the red beacon breached through the purple orb high above, all she could do was wait as the warm sensation from the flare launching slowly faded away as she dropped the now-empty tube by her boots.
“Oh, motherfucker…” Richard whispered as he realized what had just happened. “If that fucking flare can break through, imagine what the artillery will do!” He screamed trying to not loose himself in the fury that overtook his emotions.
“Corporal!” Malkovich barked silencing the young man. Grasping his shoulder, the Sergeant made him breath quickly as he shook his head. Looking back up, a drafted look flashed over the man’s eyes.
“What—” Richard hissed through his teeth as he counted the seconds passing as beads of sweat rolled down the side of his face. “—Do you have planned?” He forced himself to say in a low voice resisting the urge to break out into a roar once more.
Swiping the cube from Lecca’s hands, the princess could not answer in time as the commander activated the device and threw it onto the ground. “Thirty seconds.” He barked moving away, “Thirty seconds until the portal closes!” Running away from the four, he and his men eyed the fireteam as they moved away to the battlefield that awaited them.
“Are they fucking suicidal?” Lieutenant Patterson asked allowed as he shook his head wondering why the men were making such a choice.
“Weren’t you!?” Malkovich said swiping a rock off the ground and tossing it into the portal. The dirt on the other side was kicked up and the image was flatulated as if he threw a pebble into a body of water.
“That was before I knew an out was possible!”
Pointing his rifle at eh portal, Richard slowly moved to the portal and scanned the area on the other side. A bright light shined upon a familiar looking field that stretched for an unknown number of miles. Breathing carefully, he pushed the barrel of his rifle into the portal and upon witnessing nothing happening to his weapon he gently removed his left hand and held it near the portal.
“Richard!?” Patterson called out as a sudden whistle in the sky turned into the deafening roar of an artillery shell crashing into the distant-but close fields. Only the Rangers could hear clearly through their headphones as Princess Lecca covered her ears as the projectiles rained down on both the Reavers and her kingdom’s soldier’s positions.
“Get the fuck in, now!” Grasping the princess by her collar, Malkovich dragged her in as he forced his way through the portal with his left hand leading the way. Being the first through a wave of nausea waved over his entire body; his eyes blurred for just a moment, but before he knew it, his entire body planted itself into the dirt on the other side of the portal.
One-by-one the four fell through the portal and hearing the explosions that were once distant reaching ever so close, Richard scrambled on the ground and turned the cube on its side turning it off.
Turning his palm over, the corporal looked at the black cube in his hand as he turned over on his back, the grass brushing against his body. “Ha—” Richard began to chuckle and break out into an uncontrollable laugh. His breaths were too quick bringing the attention of the other three which had just caught their breaths to the sight of him rolling on his side and him gritting his teeth as he forced out laughs that were mired in pain and agonizing splices of his emotions being set free.
Looking around the area recalling the darkened and decaying lands he was standing on not minutes ago, Lieutenant Patterson slowly began to calm himself as the adrenaline in his blood began to disappear. Resting on the ground and running his hands through the grass, he stared high into the skies towards a white void.
This was the third time he had been in a place that was encapsulated in a white void.
Pressing his hand into the ground he fought against the aching of his bones as he stood tall letting his body slowly adjust to the sudden change in pace.
He breathed slowly as he turned to the three behind him; the gentle light in his eyes highlighted a single tear that threatened to escape into the air.
Publicly Available Information: Magical Classifications – The Federation of Zivaland:
Magical Classes:
S-Class: Capable of nation destroying, world ending, and God-like influential power and is relegated to weapons or spells of mass destruction. (Individuals can have such magic through specific genome combinations.)
A-Class: Capable of powerful magic that can affect enormous groups of individuals or cause destruction on an inhuman, supernatural scale.
B-Class: Capable of magic that can affect a large group of people or cause catastrophic damage.
C-Class: Capable of magic that is relegated to small scale destruction, influence, and critical importance. (I.E, Water treatment, national defense, medicinal purposes, power, and energy, etc.)
D-Class: Capable of small-scale magic that is relegated to only day-to-day operations. (Everyday civilians.)
E-Class: Magically Inert.