ARCHITECTS AND BEREAVEMENT:

A gentle crackle of static awoke a man near death. The humming noise gave way to more background noise as the fierce cries of war echoed in a desolate world. Burning homes, shattered skies, and the soiled deep blue of the ocean gave way to beauty with the heavenly fall of ashes, blue fire, the fluttering of red petals, and the shining golden rays upon the surface of the great beyond.

“Titan, Lightning One-Alpha, standby for fire mission.”

Clenching his fists, it all felt the same. A shriek came from the sole survivor, his agonizing voice repeated back to his ears and trapped him in an endless cycle.

“Lighting, Titan, go for fire mission.”

“Fire mission, suppress grid, Tango-Charlie, 3-7-9-8-2-1, over.”

“Suppress, Tango-Charlie, 3-7-9-8-2-1, over.”

“Anti-personal munitions, mixed, staggered formations.”

“Anti-personal munitions, mixed, staggered formations. Break, ETA, 1 mike, out.”

Lowering his head, Staff Sergeant Mike Randall remained still. A collection of silver objects was no more than an arm’s length-and-a-half away from him. Gaining his bearing, the staff sergeant let out a heavy breath as he collected his senses. There was a guaranteed chance that his entire fireteam was dead. And Leccamaradel, she might have fallen long ago to the legion that took her nation. Even if she survived, he doubted that to live yet another hour was in the question.

Reaching out further with his only arm, Mike attempted to grab the silver object. His labored breaths turned into heavy grunts as he strained his body further and further. Turning over, he pressed his still, bleeding wound into the stone. A feral cry escaped his lips as he pushed further and further. The remaining, blood coated bone from his arm pushed into his body, and small pulps of human matter smeared on the ground.

“You thought this would be over when you killed Senator Orpheus, right?”

Mike froze as he saw a man standing in the doorway leading outside. He felt cold.

“You’ve fought for so long. And it was to end here.”

He recognized that voice. “Stop! No more…” He said as more and more people began to step behind the single man in fatigues.

“You carried us so far. Full circle.”

“Will you remember?” A second voice echoed in the garden. It was a younger voice, that of a child.

Blinking, the bodies stood above Mike as he rolled on his back, the silver object clutched in his hand.

Mike’s body shook uncontrollably. He couldn’t breathe, “Kill me!”

“No… Not yet. You still have a purpose.”

“Kill me!”

The young man above him knelt. The tuff of brown hair, and eyes seemed all too familiar. Behind his blood smeared face and shallow eyes, a single smile formed on his lips. One of pure happiness.

“Princess Leccamaradel has retaken the throne! They’re disengaging!”

“Say again?”

“Senior Agent Ariash has taken control of the nation!”

“Pull back all Federation forces! Get us out of here!”

Breathing heavily and jolting to his feet, Mike collapsed onto the wall next to him. Blood dripped from his body as he ran ahead to the empty door. He just crossed the threshold as a bell-like voice emerged over his radio. “I will remember! All those who gave their lives, laying down the very fabric of their existence, no matter if they weren’t strong enough, kept fighting until the very last moments of their life! We will not fall to our knees, I know those amongst the crowd who gave everything, to fight an impossible war in the hope that humanity may prosper for a better tomorrow. I continue to fight and will give my life to reach where they now rest their heads!

I am Leccamaradel Emma Araish, the queen of Yondel, and I will never run from this war!”

“Queen Leccamradel, this is Supreme Commander Admiral Martian, alongside with members of the Commandant Committee Commander Osho, Command Sergeant Major of the Army Kilos Domani, Director Richard Junes, Director Thomas Polanski, and Director Conway. On behalf of the Federation of Zivaland, what are you to do with this war?”

“I will not forget… We both know of the countless lives extinguished, and those that wanted to survive fought until the end.

Until I meet those that continue to fight even now… on behalf of humanity…

I will continue into the battlefield! To end this war! Even if it may kill me, I will stop this bloodshed!”

“In the name of the Architects.”

Leaning against a stone railing, Mike stared into the deep blue skies. The golden sun shined onto the world beyond, and in flight the light shinned upon the red petals.

“For this world, the hope of the futures children, we will give our lives not for hate, but for love.”

“For this world, huh? We’re lucky that the Reaver activity in the Frontier has all but disappeared. That bastard…I’ll inform President Harding.”

“We will continue as one. For tomorrow…”

RECLAIMER:

Her orders were that no one was to speak. Only the newly crowned queen was to spare any words. She knew those hurt and conflicted expressions. How many times had they crossed similar and unfamiliar faces? Perhaps they plotted to speak against their queen, yet there was nothing to say.

Not that she would spare any attention of such words.

Her body throbbed with pain. Her heart pounded against her chest, her hands trembling. Just ahead of her remained the destroyed interior garden that she had once helped design and create. Bodies were strewn on the stone floor, and the flowers surrounding her were coated in crimson blood.

The last of the explosions sent by artillery batters far away thundered in her ears. Her whole world spun.

A tightened and dry throat. Eyes locked open. Howling screams.

She tried to speak, to cry. Only the hitches of her throat and the dying wails she sent forth into the world echoed in the aftermath of the distant explosions.

Falling to her knees, her entourage attempted to grasp onto her, she pushed them away as she crawled along the ground. Her dress being marred in the blood and human matter. Her already bruised arms and bloodied hands scraped against the stone and the glass shards all around. By a miracle tear flooded from her arms as her wails grew even louder. Her body was almost convulsing as she crossed the threshold to the outside world, and within seconds she had collapsed next to the body against the stone railing.

Struggling to his face, the queen forced herself up and held the man in her arms, her tears falling onto his face stirring him.

His eyes nearly opened to darkness, if they were even opening at all.

Lifting the only arm he had, the man caressed her check before letting gravity take hold of his body once more. Leaning down, Leccamaradel placed her lips onto his own. She couldn’t see upon bringing herself from the kiss that lasted a lifetime.

Her wails had turned to forced laughs.

And then to silence.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Why must we kill each other?” She managed to say, “Why must we be like this?”

Mike never knew the true answer to such a question. There were too many answers, to many realities, and too little breaths of the time they had left.

“War. We fight for those behind us.” His throat burned.

“I don’t want this! I can’t!” Lecca shouted clamping her eyes shut and letting more tears stream down her face.

“We passed the test. If you are the only thing I still care about, I will pay the price of this fight to reach the end.”

Through her clouded mind she couldn’t understand what he was saying. In any other moment she would be able to admit to him the truth of everything. But, to see him at the hands of the Reaper three times had worn down her barriers, burned her blood, and tested her faith. She could no longer pray, turn the page of a bible to drown out the pain. She still had a calling, to lead a place with no memory, and she was yet ready to lay her love to rest. Her name was on the list, and now it was her time to prove to the world that her own, along with his existence was something that would forever change the world, humanity, for something only the stars could ever hope to inherit.

Holding her breath, Lecca collapsed on top of her Reclaimer.

Through his sacrifice he had brought those responsible to justice.

Through his suffering he had reclaimed a nation.

Through his life, she lived.

Slowly taking Mike’s hand into hers, she laid beside him, planting a single kiss on his lips. War came with death and destruction. But it also allowed life to find new meaning, new purpose. There was negotiation between states, not here. For what she fought for, her people, a flag. For those she cared about, they were right next to her.

And she swore an oath to give her life for this…

JOINT TASK FORCE - LEGION:

“With over 30% losses of initial border units, security personnel and members of the armed forces, the Federation has a ten-year gap to recover needed personnel and material, Mr. President.” Supreme Commander Martain stated as the read of a continued list from the papers he held. “Along with our own losses, the Kingdom of Yodnel has suffered over 50% losses with their Northern Theater forces.”

David Harding leaned back in his chair as he stared out a nearby window. The heat of the summer boiled his nation, and even now he was feeling a light sweat under his already thin clothing. “And what does that mean for us?”

“To compensate for the lack of manpower, all branches are speeding up curriculum in occupational schooling, officer training commands, specialist schools, boot camps, and manufacturing schools. With this though, the personnel that will enter the wider world will not have any of the training needed for real world operations.”

Taking his turn, Director Conway of the OMFS stepped beside the Supreme Commander, “Sir, while our enemies across the southern border have lost the primary batch of their combat forces, there are still remnants taking refuge in once former allied nations to Yondel. Former king Aldrecht Spell Shaldrecht is still MIA, but whereabouts of his location have been traced to our allies to the east.” Conway frowned, “We still don’t know what they wanted with the Architect’s or the technology they left behind. With the death of the mastermind, Senator Orpheus, a person that we didn’t even know existed, our intel is grossly negligible, and everything is conjecture.”

“We can guess all day…” David chuckled. “The world stage has only gotten worse. We suspect any man wanting the survival of humanity will be worn down until there are none left. The Demon Lord does exist, and we need a group of individuals that are willing to look beyond petty arguments to eliminate the threat.”

Martian held a sharp glare towards the president. “Our forces can maintain our defensive lines. The navy is the only branch capable of any outside activity. In similar operation to your personal unit, the MSF, we can assure that an independent unit outside of normal command-and-control will be able to strike and bring concentrated firepower onto Demon infested areas throughout the world. With regards for former king Alrecht, we already have tier-one units assigned to handle his death or capture.”

“Mr. President, do you intend to sacrifice Queen Leccamaradel’s Reclaimers?” Conway snarled, disgusted with the man.

“Never. They are all cooperating with our scientists and the kingdom’s magicians to find them a way home. Only a select few have decided to stay behind. If those here wish to continue towards the battlefield, I’d rather have them with those they can trust.”

Lowering his hands to his side, Admiral Martian let out a heavy sigh as he stepped right and sank into an unattended chair. “How the hell do we come back from this one, boss?” He muttered covering his face with the stack of papers he had.

Turning back and leaning over his desk in the presidential office, David sat in contemplation. The full picture of what happened over the past year was clear: The Kingdom of Yondel had summoned Holy Knights to eliminate the suspected Demon Lord. Along with their operations in the Frontier, searching for the now missing Relics that Senator Orpheus had captured, a larger conflict existed between the two nations.

All the loss, suffering, for what?

“I’ll call Donovan, he’s with Commander Simon Geert. Donovan knows more of what to do in these types of delicate situations. No doubt, he’ll want to pull men from the Navy’s NOGS. He’s become quite fond of them recently, given his past as an Imperial Marine.”

But will it be enough? David asked himself silently.

“Alpha Company of the 332nd Armored Battalion was given orders to assassinate Queen Leccamaradel.” David said.

“What!” Martian and Conway shouted.

“Orders came from the top. The acting president.”

“Did he—”

“Under orders of the Senate you mean?” Conway surmised.

“Indeed.”

Following brief silence, Martian let out a shallow laugh, “What are we to do with the special operations unit Senator Orpheus created before the invasion?”

David raised an eyebrow. He was not informed of this development, “Pardon?”

The admiral continued to chuckle. It seemed that he still had more information than both the director of the OMFS and the president himself. “Yeah, that damned politician created something akin to the Holy Knights without using people from other worlds.” He sounded proud by the information revealed, “We don’t have much information on where they went after Queen Leccamaradel’s coup, yet we know that they have the Architects’ gifts.”

“If they wish to access the void, to breach the other side…”

“They want to connect this world to others. The Reclaimers, Earth is their home…”

“Don’t worry David, with the technology we have and the assistance from Yondel, those men will be returning to Earth.”

A calming smile crossed David’s face. He had something to be proud of. “Good.”

A boisterous laugh came from Director Conway as he stepped to the reinforced glass window that was behind the president, “Those men have fought for too long. It’s time we send them back to their reality.”

“Yes, their information, let alone their efforts, have been more than enough to establish this independent task force. Legion will be something that will change the world.”

TOGETHER TILL DEATH:

Four months had passed.

Mike had remained in the Kingdom of Yondel ever since he had killed Senator Orpheus. For the longest time his operational command had been switched between different units both under the Federation and the Kingdom. Yet, there was a constant. Queen Leccamaradel, she was their immediate commanding officer, and with her, they marched into the depths of hell, and crawled their way back to the light. She never abandoned them, never let them fight alone.

The mid-summer twilight drenched the darkened sky. Shards of moonlight overtook the lasting gaze of the fiery sun. Behind the gaze of the sunset, a lasting blue hue captured the light and painted the world into a deeper sleep.

Sitting outside of the castle in Glacies, Mike remained silent as he let the slowly pausing, howling wind brush against his skin. In the distance the once deafening sounds of propellers continued as a flight of cargo planes from the Federation began the perilous journey home. Supply drops for both aid and material had occurred over the last four months during this new reconstruction period in Yondel’s history.

A miracle. Former sworn enemies now spoke to each other. It would take years, perhaps time beyond his life for old scars to heal.

Sitting at a lone chair, the Staff Sergeant tightened his large trench coat with a single hand. He was barely illuminated by the moonlight, and stuck in deep thought, the silence he provided the world was a new normal, something he himself often was drowned in like he was now. To his obliviousness, a single figure appeared by his side placing a cold hand on his shoulder and neck.

“May I?” her calming voice made him tense. Mike shrugged as he motioned for a chair next to him.

Her hand never left his as she sat down slowly.

A minute in silence turned into an hour. Lecca was the first to speak, “Do you still wish to remain here? The Federation is nearing completion of a single-transit line to Earth. The others, they will return… You have already risked your life here; you needn’t sacrifice anymore than you already have.”

“Lecca, I can’t return home. I’ve gave too much to leave it all behind. I can’t leave you beyond this world, this time I will stay by your side.”

“Promise me…you will never forget what you sacrificed.” Lecca pleaded.

Her hand felt slightly warmer. A placebo effect… Mike squeezed her hand, “I promise that these scars will never be forgotten. I’ll keep them with me, even if they heal.”

Scooting his chair, overlapping hers, Lecca was able to rest her head against his shoulder and relish the now warm night.

Mike felt his neck tighten. Looking up at her lover, the queen eyed the scars adorning his face and neck. Falling just to the right, she was reminded of his sacrifices he made during her ascension to the throne.

“For everything, even before this world, you have chosen to live.” Lecca nervously said rubbing her fingers on his large palm.

He nodded slowly.

“I would have never imagined the pain you have been through, giving your life for people not of your own. You did the impossible, under my command.” She slunk further into his side, averting her gaze. “If Aldrecht had never called upon Holy Knights, my head would have been on a pike… Your very existence saved my own. And now, you have given me more than anyone and everything…” Her face turned partially red.

Mike smiled at her flustered face. His heart was already working overtime to ensure he didn’t die, and now he was sure a heart attack was going to happen the way he felt a heavy feeling in his chest when she appeared.

“Lecca, we first met here, right?” Mike inquired.

She nodded, “Yes, we first truly spoke on this balcony.”

It was so long ago. Too much has happened since then. Lecca admitted. We wish to be happy, to live in a world where no children forge new spears, yet we continue to sharpen our own.

Letting go of her hand and standing up, Mike walked to the edge of the balcony. He placed his right hand into his trench coat as the queen stood next to him looking into his deep brown eye.

“Is something on your mind? Please, tell me, darling.” Lecca whispered.

“We already lived through hell. Us Reclaimers something that we originally couldn’t imagine. Time and time again you gave your life to us. Providing the guidance and will to fight in this new world with the hope of returning to Earth. I have come to realize a long time ago that you had long sworn to fight with us no matter where or when. And from that, you told me that our lives were intertwined, that we would fight for each other.”

“Mike—”

“I am more than confident that we’ll be okay no matter what challenge, problem, harsh reality is thrown at us.”

“You’re—”

“Leccamaradel Emma Araish, acting queen of the Kingdom of Yondel, the First-Born Princess. I ask of you to stay by my side, not as we are, but as my wife.”

Taking a pair of gold rings with a red gem in the center, Mike held it out awaiting an answer.

Covering her mouth as tears formed at the edges of her eyes, Lecca found it impossible to speak.

To prove her worth, she placed her hand into his own.

“Lecca…”

Taking his ring and placing it on his hand, the silver-haired maiden allowed her Reclaimer to do the same. Before anymore words could escape Mike’s lips, she sealed them with a kiss that lasted just but a second.

Looking up at the Reclaimer with tear-filled, starry eyes, the brightest of smiles formed as she gave her answer.

“I accept, my husband.”

END.