Out by the countryside, of the Veradigris Vale, a small boy plays around, running through the open space smiling and having fun, as he notices the sun approaching midday he runs back to his home. As he runs back home he walks past the rubble of buildings and smoldering fire, he slows down as he sees the destruction around. By the time he gets back to his home, he sees armed Elf Militants shoot the Humans of his town. Worse as he looks into his home the boy sees his family get killed by those Elf Militants. Scared for his life he runs away back into the countryside.
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In Throndale City on Throndale island at sunset, a squad of Human Forces soldiers sit around a campfire, next to the ruin of a building that has been destroyed by artillery fire, as the squad leader Lieutenant Corporal Marvin ‘Mig’ Graves wakes up from his quick nap. As Mig looks around he sees his Squad Medic Vincent Owens, a man of short stature and a dark complexion, cooking Meal Packs over the campfire.
“Well good to see you back up Mig”
“How long?”
“Calm down. It’s been less than twenty minutes. The Meal Packs are nearly done”
Mig sits himself up as he unslings his Ethral Rifle off his shoulder, the fire lights up his face to show his light brown hair and greenish eyes, as he looks over to the food cooking.
“I guess I could eat. I haven’t had a bit since the ship dropped us off on Throndale”
“Lord Almighty, Mig that was days ago. How didn’t I notice?”
“Squad Leader got to look after his own, just cause we’ve been shelling this island doesn’t mean the Elves are fully gone yet”
Squad Medic Vincent Owens brings his hand to his head and wipes his bald head.
“You know Mig, you gotta learn to slow down. War is war, but you can’t go about it with you at over capacity”
“My life is nothing but war. It’s the only way I’ve lived”
Vincent looks out at the food awkwardly as he calls out to the rest of the Squad Members to come eat.
The other Squad Members move over and sit around the campfire, Recon Operative Dimka Irwin, a lengthy man, grabs the first plate of rations for himself as Vincent passes Mig a plate of food. Next up Private Ji-Su Hayashi, the young new member of the squad, and Heavy Weapons Sergeant Levi Wesley, a man on the heavier side with a complexion darker than Vincent's, each grab a plate and sit to eat.
The whole Squad enjoys the meal as Mig scarfs down his whole plate much to the amusement of the rest of them.
“Damn Mig, leave some bits for seconds for us”, said Dimka.
“Mig, I know it’s been a few days since your last meal, but slow down”, exclaimed Vincent.
Sergeant Levi Wesley laughs at the commotion as he continues eating.
Ji-Su turns to Sergeant Wesley to ask him a question.
“Hey?”
“Yeah?”
“So the Lieutenant Corp. is a decorated soldier, right?”
“Mig? Yeah, one of the best in the field. He’s the highest rank one could be before General, and I hear that he is up the running for a promotion”
“Right. So then why does everyone call him ‘Mig’ if he has such respect”
“You’re fresh off right?”
“Yes sir, I finished my Training and this is the first Squad I was shipped to”
“And you weren’t told why?”
“No. That’s why I’m asking”
A smile forms on Sergeant Wesley’s face: “Oh, I know why don’t you ask Mig yourself”
“What?”
Sergeant Wesley turns over to Mig eating his third plate of food and yells out to him: “Hey Mig the newbie wants to know the story behind your nickname”
Mig stands up and looks at Ji-Su: “You want to know about my name, well I’ll tell you. Back when I was fresh in Training I had the disservice of saying my full name Marvin Increrio Graves. I bet you can abbreviate”
“Marvin Increrio Graves. M. I. G. Mig?”
“Yeah. That one little mistake on my first day led to a lifelong nickname. Although I don’t mind it as much anymore. So don’t be afraid to call me Mig if you want, kid”
Mig looks up at the setting sun: “Alright it's about night time, clean up your trays and lay out your sleep bags. I’ll take first night watch.
The night comes and goes as at the break of dawn the Squad clear up their campground and set off more inland until they reach the ruins of Throndale City. As they walk through the ruins of rubble and destroyed buildings they look around at the destruction and dead bodies of Humans, Elves, and the island inhabitants.
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“Fucking hell. I thought we got our people out of here in time, before the shelling”, said Dimka.
“Not everyone makes it”, said Mig.
“At least most of the Humans that could, got evacuated off Throndale”, said Sergeant Wesley.
“No time to dawdle, we have to move. If we can confirm no presents of Elves left on this island then it’s a Human victory”, told Mig.
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As the Squad marches forward through the jungle and rubble of Throndale City, little do they know that across the city Mig’s Squad is being watched by a Division of Elf Militants. A small force of special ops, led by Commander Miriel, she is among the best commanders within the Elf Militants; she stands tall with fair white skin and long blonde hair. Unlike the combat gear the Elf Militants wore, her outfit was not fully that of a commanding officer. Miriel turns over to the Scout Officer in her unit.
“You have sight on anything, Thalion?”
Thalion geared in the Elven Whispering Cloak, a set of garments that temporarily turns the wearer invisible, looking through the magically enhanced bispecs: “Nothing yet Commander. Although I see some movements, cannot confirm if they are human. I could try and get closer”
“Easy up there Thalion. Do not overuse your Whispering Cloak you know Human Phantom Drone can see the signature of it”
“I have not seen any fly around or any other Human aircraft. Those Humans think that since they have been bombing this Unclaimed Land all Elf Militants have either been killed or fled”
“Humans are not that simple. I know I have been fighting them for years”
“They are from what I have encountered”
Thalion looks over the ruined cityscape as he sees Mig’s Squad in clear view. He calls over to Commander Miriel.
“Commander. Movement. Human Forces confirmed. Standard Squad”
“Let me see”
Thalion hands the bispecs to Commander Miriel as she looks at Mig and his Squad pacing through Throndale City.
“Shall we move forward to strike them, Commander?”
“Hold on. The leader of that Squad is a Lieutenant Corporal, that is the second highest rank within the Human Forces, if we capture him we could take information from him. It seems as if they are heading eastbound. We shall move out and corner them”
“Yes Commander”, exclaims the Elves in Commander Miriel’s unit.
“Keep the leader alive. I leave the rest to your discretion”
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The Elf Militants move out ahead of where Mig and his Squad are going and set up an uphill ambush waiting for the clueless Human Forces.
As Mig and his Squad advance they all keep their weapons raised at a ready stance, Mig leads with his Ethral Rifle pointed outwards turning from side to side and making sure the way is cleared of any presence. The further the Human Forces get the fewer signs there are of life until Mig’s Squad reaches an uphill staircase.
“Alright men, extra caution going up. Dimka, Levi, I want you two upfront, scope, and assess the area ahead”
“Got it, Mig”
“Roger that, Mig”
Both the Recon Operative Dimka Irwin and the Heavy Weapons Sergeant Levi Wesley head up the staircase carefully looking around until they reach the top. While on the top they see nothing as Dimka turns back to give the all-clear.
“Hey Mig everything looking good up here”
“Alright, Vincent, head on up”, said Mig.
“Kid you’re by me”
“Yes sir. Um Mig Sir”, nervously exclaimed Ji-Su.
“Mig would be just enough, but sorry Hayashi you still need to prove your worth for my respect to call you by your first name like the others”
“I’m fresh out of Training, but I don’t lack skills”
“Well let’s hope this isn’t a place where we have to see any action”
Mig and Ji-Su begin to go up the stairs as they do, everyone stops when they hear a noise. Dimka turns around and sees Sergeant Wesley slump on the ground. Dimka approaches Sergeant Wesley.
“Levi, what’s the matter? Levi? Wesley, you better not be fucking with me”
Dimka reaches down to inspect Sergeant Wesley’s body.
“Shit, Levi’s dead. Mig there’re Elves about”, yelled Dimka.
Looking from the direction of where Sergeant Wesley was shot. Dimka sees a faint silhouette of a figure, without second thought Dimka moves to open fire and manages to kill an Elf Militant and injure the Elf Militants next to him.
Back on the middle of the staircase Vincent gets down and readies his weapon as next to him lands a round object. Before Vincent can identify and react to it, the grenade explodes, killing him and knocking Mig and Ji-Su down the stairs. The remaining three Humans fight Dimka at the top of the staircase next to Sergeant Wesley’s body Dimka grabs Wesley’s weapon and tries to shoot any Elf he sees. At the bottom of the staircase, Mig and Ji-Su are ready to fight as the Elf Militants near them attempt to attack in close combat with Elven Quarterdaggers, one of those Elves being Miriel.
Mig and Ji-Su fight Miriel and the Elf Militants surrounding the two of them, as Dimka stands his ground at the top of the staircase. Mig hands his knife to Ji-Su as Mig fights with his bare hands.
Up at the top of the staircase, it’s not looking good for Dimka as he has taken fire from Elven Crossbows and Rifles. Lucky Dimka manages to kill a few Elf Militants before he is killed by the remaining Elves. At the bottom of the staircase Mig and Ji-Su hear Dinka’s gunfire end as they know he went down fighting leaving just the two of them to deal with this ambush.
Backed into a corner, both metaphorically and literally, Mig hatches a plan, he turns to Ji-Su: “Kid, I have a plan. You’re going to make it out of here”.
“What? How?”
“These Elves seem to only be fighting close-quarter combat, and that Elf lady over there seems like their commander. So when I say so I want you to throw my combat knife at her, then I will distract the remaining Elves around us giving you a chance to run for it”
“Wait, what about you, Mig? I can’t leave you”
“A Squad Leader’s task is to look after his team, even if there is only one left. You’ll make it out”
“Alright Mig, I trust you”
Mig reaches down to his side as he grips the pistol in his leg strap: “Ready on my mark…Mark”
Ji-Su throws the combat knife just barely scraping Commander Miriel’s shoulder as Mig shoots the two Elves in front of him. Mig turns to shoot Miriel as Ji-Su makes a run toward the forest. An Elf Militant at the top of the staircase shoots the pistol out of Mig’s hand and he then shoots Ji-Su through his head. Mig watches as Ji-Su’s body falls over. Mig falls to the ground as he has failed.
Mig looks around as he tries to think of a solution: “I can charge her, but then I’ll be open to those Elves on the high ground. Do I use magic? No, the pistol’s Halo Rounds already took a lot out of me. There’s nothing I can do”
Miriel walks over to him: “You took down a third of my unit. That is impressive, although I should have expected such from a well-regarded Lieutenant Corporal such as yourself Mr. Graves”
“Don’t waste my remaining time with talk, just kill me already”
Commander Miriel uses magic to summon a baton of Elven crystal and hits Mig over his head with it: “Oh no we have plenty more talking to do”