The orange bloom of gasoline lights engulfed the streets. Sounds of machinery, trams, trollies, and the steps of people echoed in the underground walls of the colony. The sound of marching permeates Eli’s group as they walk through the roads, soldiers dressed in colourful blue, green, and red chant as they all make their way.
Eli’s group followed them to a heavily fortified building made of concrete. They stayed at their part of the barracks with soldiers from other battalions who looked concerned about why a Werebeltiere girl was there.
Her hair glowed yellow which made the others curious.
Eli crouched and asked the girl.
“Lass… your mother did not tell me of your name, may I ask what it is?”
“M-my name is Emi, mister…”
“Emi… follow me.”
Eli took all the information his men carried and walked with Emi through the busy streets.
“Mister? I have a question.”
“What is it, lass?”
“Why are your kinds live in the depths?”
“Well, to make this walk a little more interesting… I’ll tell a story.”
…
A long time ago, Humanity was called by a different name, the figurehead of the kind—the Herzeni Empire. It was an infantile empire born out of the unity of the other races of Humanity with her ironclad weapons pointed forward against other kinds, though it fought against other races, it tried to make peace with others, though the “Great Anger” still had the presence within their cultures.
Its dealings with war had torn the Empire with the Langerohren killing the last king, but before that, he ordered that all of Humanity must hide and live in the depths, to retake what was theirs and to fight for the King and its people.
…
Eli and Emi have arrived at a large green building, decorated with beautiful furnishings. They entered inside and greeted a person well-dressed in dark blue and red. He was the secretary of the Superior General, and they discussed a meeting held on the 3rd floor.
“They’re planning to execute an offensive at the 3 villages in Lilacs?”
“Yes, the artilleries from Die Deutschenie Mannin and Maitresse Francia Regret have arrived, including their expeditionary armies.”
“Well then, I must deliver this message soon… The Valley of the Lilacs is being attacked by the Werebeltiere.”
They bid their farewells and walked onward to the meeting hall between generals of Humanity’s armies.
The room felt tense as if it was the final stretch of humanity that lay forth them. Decorated soldiers discussed on a large table with a map marked with towns of other races.
One dressed in plain clothes, holding a mug, sighed in frustration.
“The Langerohrens had made a central bastion between the 3 villages as observed by our surveyors, it will be a bloody battle if we execute right now.”
The frustrated man was Superior General George Shank, he was angry at the current predicament of the plan. Many soldiers in the colony will surely stretch the food supplies. Eli knocked at the door and greeted the generals, who assumed control of the vast armies.
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“Sir George, we have news within Valley of the Lilacs.”
“Well, spill it out, lad.”
“The Werebeltiere are organising an attack near those 3 villages, so far, the Langerohren are preoccupied with them, and we saw a reduced number of men in the central bastion of Panalmo.”
“Great! we now have a once-in-a-lifetime chance boy! Quickly organise an enfilading battle and order all soldiers to proceed.”
The generals saluted Sir George, and all of them cheered.
“Im Herzen, wuttenicht! Liebt alle Menschen!”
As the cheer went on, Sir George saw Emi clinging to Eli’s leg with a scared look.
“What do we have here?”
Eli comforted Emi while responding to Sir George.
“She’s an orphan from a Werebeltiere Village, her mother begged to take her in.”
“What happened to the lass?”
“She was stuck in a burning house.”
“Shame... hope she lives on in Fields of Heaven.”
Eli gestured to Sir George, and he agreed to let them both exit the room.
“Emi… what’s wrong?”
“…”
Eli crouched to her level and held her hand, he stared at Emi which made her flustered.
“Lass… No matter what, I’m going to take care of you as it is my duty as your new caretaker.”
“T-then mister… promise to me that I can follow you and hold your hand, forever.”
Eli took a deep breath.
“You would see death much sooner if you meant it that way.”
“I… don’t know where to go if you’re gone…”
“Then, I’ll teach you how to fight, as a Herzeni.”
Emi nodded to him.
…
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Jana 22nd, 1912
Bastion de Lur’lle, Central Panalmo
----------------------------------------
Stone and wooden houses cluttered the green forests of Central Panalmo as roads slithered, all consumed by nature, are tainted with Langerohren magische. Soldiers of the race—coloured with bright sky blue and red hats marched towards the Bastion de Lur’lle’s Entrance.
It’s been days since the Werebeltiere launched their conquest southwards towards the Langerohren’s influence, morale is low amongst the society of the kind, yet they pushed back the Werebeltiere to the Northern East of the Tyrone Region.
A soldier wearing black garments met the gaze of a well-decorated army officer.
“Monsieur Commandant Purre, we have received orders from Mademoiselle Patrie to transfer some of your soldiers to the frontlines.”
“A messenger from the Grand Armée? We shall provide you with the necessary reinforcements, which will take at least a month! I cannot let this bastion and its soldiers under-armed…”
“But Monsieur Commandant! The men are dying in Tyrone, if I don’t have your way then my head will be placed on a dirty platter!”
“The Humans are the ones we shall fear! I have seen them warring since the Battle of this very land. Tell Mademoiselle Patrie to summon their Tréants and Géants de pierres!”
The messenger left with a feeling of dread in his spine.
Lately, people have reported sightings of Humans sneaking inside the villages of Panalmo and flying objects soaring nearby, this made the Commandant fearful and anxious due to his past battles against them. He ordered his soldiers to prepare defences for an unsuspecting attack.
This is one of those days when a street is covered with fieldworks of dirt framed with wood to act as cover for the soldiers.
While the Langerohrens prepared for a potential offensive, the Humans dug trenches in the treelines that had covered the town. Horses towed batteries of artillery, crates of ammunition, and rifles.
“Kommandant, observations from the 5th Sky Soaring Forces show that the Langerohren has constructed fieldworks in some streets, there is a photo attached with the report.”
Commander Loiwenlueger of the 38th Expeditionskorps nodded to the messenger as he observed his men digging trenches and setting up foxholes, machine guns implanted as their parapets were placed.
“Bote, tell the kommandanten about their current situation in each trench division.”
“Jawohl.”
Commandant Loiwenlueger walked through the trenches, preparing to converse with the other commanders.
From day and night, all of them constructed a massive trench line for both future and current plans for the battle in Central Panalmo and the other villages.
During that time, all the commanders held a wargame simulation in their bunkers, they tried to predict the response of the Langerohren soldiers. Crickets envelop the land as the upcoming dread will soon come on the battlefield.