Chapter 16: The United States Part 1
July 7th, 2053
Rontak Valley, Capital City of Ronta, Imperial Palace
"What the hell does that self righteous asshole think he's doing!" Emperor Rontus screamed.
He had just received an update from his highest military advisor, Legatus Vislex on the fortifications in the Kashir Forest. His son, Crown Prince Cevlion Rontus IX, was in the Kashir Forest completely uprooting their meticulously planned defensive operations.
"He's supposed to be negotiating a treaty with the dark elves, damnit!" The Emperor exclaimed. "How the hell did he even get to the Kashir Forest without anyone knowing?"
"We've contacted the remaining delegation at the Shorvull Forest, Your Majesty," Legatus Vislex replied. "The Prince gave them explicit instructions not to tell you or anyone else of his whereabouts."
The Emperor was furious. His daughter was either dead or in the hands of the enemy and now his son was jeopardizing the defense against the Americans? What was that imbecile even thinking? If he was there then surely he knew of the Americans and their weaponry.
That wasn't even the worst of it though. The Prince also gave the order to burn crops and salt the land between the Kashir Forest and Rontak's Reach. What would happen to the people caught in the middle of this conflict? Being in the war path of the Americans was bad enough, possibly even a death sentence, but now they were being attacked by the Empire itself as well?
If word spread about the threat in the west it would incite panic across the Empire, not to mention the possibility of rebellion due to the Prince's actions. If people throughout the Empire knew what was really going on there would be widespread unrest. This was a dangerous situation that had to be resolved quickly.
He couldn't just order General Ulmok to arrest Prince Cevlion. Doing so could spark a civil war; his son was known for making rash decisions and there were plenty of soldiers who agreed with him. Not many approved of the defensive plan he and his generals had come up with. Some would remain loyal to him, others would side with the Prince. Besides, if General Ulmok and his men were willing to stand up to the Prince, they would have already done so themselves.
He needed another solution. A way to get the Prince out of the way without directly involving the army. Perhaps the Order of the Dragon could help...
"Vislex, what's left of the Order of the Dragon is en route to Duremar, correct?"
"That's right, Your Majesty," Vizlex replied. "They set out as soon as word reached them about Princess Maribelle."
"I want to speak with them immediately," the Emperor declared.
"I will contact the remaining commanders at once, Your Majesty," Vislex replied. He turned to leave, but the Emperor stopped him.
"Wait. Use the mana comm in my personal study," the Emperor said, gesturing to the door behind his throne. "We cannot let word of the Prince's actions spread any further than they already have."
"As you wish, Your Majesty," Vislex said with a bow. Then he went into the Emperor's private study.
July 8th, 2053
Duremar Plains, Fort Roanoke
After escorting the princess around all day yesterday, Daniel was called back to Lieutenant General Reed's office. As he had anticipated, a rescue effort was being sent out to recover the remaining abducted civilians. The 4th Deep Recon Team would be part of it. Because they planned to go so deep into enemy territory, they were bringing along a logistic truck to carry extra fuel, batteries, supplies, etc.
Although the eggheads were still studying mithril, the military had already started manufacturing bullets out of it. They were in short supply, but the droids from each rescue team were given a few clips just in case they ran into another demon. The droids were also equipped with the mithril swords, again, just in case.
The first part of the plan was to rendezvous with a medevac Rhino at Freedom Outpost outside of Rontak's Reach. From there they'll head southeast and 'village hop' until they find American citizens. There was no telling what condition the civilians will be in when they find them. The medevac Rhinos will stabilize them until they can be airlifted back to Fort Roanoke.
Aerial reconnaissance had already mapped out the region, which would save a lot of time. Major Williams, in command of the overall rescue operation, already planned out the routes and stops for each rescue team.
In addition to the civilian specialists, Elmot was coming along as a local guide. There were still a lot of unknowns on this world, and an expert in magic would be useful. There was no shortage of volunteers among the refugees to join the other teams, either. Many were eager to help their American saviors.
Daniel was in the command cabin of the Rhino looking through the list of civilians still unaccounted for. Darryl Wright, Jessica Clark, Grant Robinson... Despite the overall success at Rontak's Reach, there were still 82 people missing. It was his job to bring them home.
"Yo, Danny, you know where Thungar is? I thought he was coming with us." Benny asked.
"Didn't you hear?" Daniel replied. "He's going north with Major Mathews to escort the minotaur POWs back to their people."
Liv, the last one to board the Rhino, finally arrived.
"Where have you been?" He asked her as she made her way up to the front.
"I stopped by to see the Princess and wish her luck. Can you even imagine the culture shock of seeing New York City for the first time?"
"She's in for a wild ride, that's for sure," Benny said. "Hey, I heard that guy we picked up in Miretan is getting back today. I wonder how his trip to the states went."
"He went as a potential trading partner," Daniel said. "The Princess is going as the ambassador of a foreign aggressor. I bet they'll have different perspectives."
"Ain't that the truth," Benny said.
After a quick systems check, they pulled out of the vehicle depot joined by dozens of other vehicles. The convoy headed for Rontak's Reach to begin their mission.
July 8th, 2053
Duremar Plains, Fort Roanoke
Maribelle was standing outside with Ralva. Neither of them were still in their bright orange prisoner outfits; their original clothing had been returned. The quarters they slept in last night weren't large, but they were certainly fit for royalty.
Her unceremoniously small bed was more comfortable than the one in her personal chamber at the Imperial Palace. There wasn't a fireplace, but Daniel had shown her a wondrous device that could set the precise temperature of the room. To control the temperature without a fireplace or magic was incredible.
An elongated black metal carriage pulled to the side of the road in front of the 'civilian barracks'. It was much smaller than the other metal carriages she's seen before; it didn't look like it was designed for war. Maribelle looked at the time piece the Americans had given her and it was exactly the time they were told.
"I guess this is the carriage we'll be riding in?" Ralva said with uncertainty.
A middle aged woman in a well made American suit stepped out, followed by a droid. Unlike the other droids, this one was very shiny. It had chrome plating all over its body and it had less of an intimidating appearance. Its face was clearly artificial, but more human-like than their other droids. The woman walked up and introduced himself.
"Greetings, Princess Maribelle, Commander Ralva," she said. "I am Ambassador Carol Smith. If you would be so kind as to take a seat in the limo, we can begin."
Maribelle shared a nervous glance with Ralva before they both went inside the 'limo'. Her worries immediately evaporated once she got inside. It was much more luxurious than the carriage she rode in yesterday. The black seats were made of fine leather and the floor was black carpet.
She and Ralva took seats facing the front of the limo while Ambassador Smith and the droid sat on the side facing seats in front of them.
"Before we go through the portal, there's something you should be aware of," Ambassador Smith told them. "The magic spell, as your people call it, that enables us to communicate with each other does not exist on our world."
"What do you mean?" Maribelle asked.
"On this side of the portal, we can communicate perfectly with each other, despite speaking different languages. To the best of our knowledge, magic does not exist in any form on Earth, so you won't be able to understand any language you don't speak yourself," she explained. "This droid will serve as your translator."
"Our what?" Ralva asked.
"Your translator," Ambassador Smith reiterated. "It will tell you what I say in your language and tell me what you say in mine so we can talk to each other."
"I don't understand. How can it do that without using magic?" Ralva asked more persistently.
"Thanks to being able to understand your language over here, our linguists have been able to rapidly put together a working dictionary. The droid will act as a middle-man so that we can talk to each other despite the language barrier."
Maribelle mostly understood that, but it raised many more questions. How did people talk to each other if they couldn't understand different languages? It must make diplomacy and trade incredibly difficult, if not outright impossible. The treaty she was told about, the Geneva Convention, must have been monumentally difficult to write, with not only different interests from different kingdoms but also just as many different languages. She couldn't imagine how something like that was even possible, much less effective.
Ambassador Smith began explaining what to expect on the trip. "Today, we'll give you a tour of New York City. You'll see a few historic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. Then, we'll head over to the Plaza Hotel. You'll be in good company there. World leaders and members of royal families have been staying at The Plaza for almost 150 years. Tomorrow, we'll take a plane to our capital, Washington DC, so you can speak with the President."
"Planes...? You mean your flying machines?" Maribelle asked.
"That's right!" Ambassador Smith cheerfully replied. "Don't worry, it's perfectly safe."
Maribelle wasn't concerned about safety but she was a little iffy about riding the weapons that killed her dragon.
"We've prepared an introductory video to help explain the United States to people from Tempestia," Ambassador Smith said while a black screen rose out of its concealment near the front of the limo.
This must be the moving picture the refugees were watching yesterday. The 'video' began with a waving flag with red and white stripes and white stars on a blue background. Suddenly the limo was filled with a booming voice that seemed to be coming from everywhere all at once.
The voice began by explaining that freedom and liberty were basic tenets of American society. Then it gave a brief history of the United States; how they started off as the colonies of the much more powerful British Empire and eventually won their independence. In a surprisingly short amount of time, only a couple hundred years, the United States became the dominant power on their world.
Their form of government was particularly strange. Their Congress was similar in principle to the House of Lords, but it was split into two separate bodies. And their concept of 'separation of powers' made no sense. How did they get anything done if the authority to govern was split up between so many people? But that was dwarfed next to her bafflement at the American version of democracy.
There were a few kingdoms in the past that had experimented with the idea of letting landowners and merchants have a say in major decisions. It was almost comical how quickly those kingdoms collapsed; the Rontak Empire swooped in and conquered them with ease. But the Americans took democracy even further. They allowed every single person, from their President to every lowly peasant, to have an equal vote in their elections. It wasn't just their system of government, it was part of their culture. How could such a thing lead to anything but disaster?
Then the video shifted away from government and history and started giving information about the United States as it is today. It listed statistics about their massive population, which was all human, and their economy. Maribelle couldn't believe the sheer scale of their production capacity. Then it gave a brief overview of their military.
The Americans easily outmatched the Rontak Empire on land, in the air, and definitely at sea. Their navy was made of vessels that looked more like floating islands of steel than warships. They may have had fewer planes than the Rontak Empire had wyverns, but based on how fast and maneuverable American planes were and the weapons they carried, it wouldn't make a difference.
The video concluded with the voice making it clear as day that the United States would do whatever was necessary to safeguard its citizens and their precious ideals of freedom and liberty. Hearing about the defeat of the Portal Conquest Army over the mana comm was different from seeing the weapons and war machines responsible for it.
She imagined those weapons of war being turned on her people. Cities and villages burned to the ground, wyverns falling from the sky like drops of rain, entire armies wiped out... She had to do everything she could to make sure that didn't happen.
The Empire's great army (it seemed silly to call it 'great' after seeing the American military) would be swept aside if this conflict continued. She had to find a way to make peace with the United States. No matter what it cost the Empire, it would be better than the alternative.
The limo began to move through the base towards the portal. The Americans had erected a metal dome around it. Huge metal doors opened up on their own as the limo got closer. Maribelle had never personally been through a portal before. She wondered what it would be like.
The swirling colors of pink and purple got closer and closer until they passed right through the front of the limo. The wall of magical energy washed over her and she emerged on the other side. Ambassador Smith said something in an unintelligible language; the only thing she could make out was her name. The droid translated in a voice approximating the ambassador's, "Princess Maribelle, welcome to the United States."
People really couldn't understand languages here. It was strange to hear words and not know what the person was saying. Other than that, things didn't seem so unusual. There were soldiers and tanks around, but she had expected that. Then the limo turned down a road and Maribelle let out a gasp. Ralva saw it too a moment later.
Huge towers made of steel and glass rose into the sky all around them. As the limo kept moving through the city, they saw more and more of these magnificent towers. They were everywhere!
"This is incredible!" Maribelle exclaimed.
Ralva turned to Ambassador Smith and said, "Please tell me this city is the prized jewel of your kingdom."
The droid translated for Ralva and then Ambassador Smith's response. "Well, New York is one of our largest cities, but it's far from unique. This is what most modern cities are like."
The droid kept on translating, but Maribelle lost track of what it was saying. She couldn't take her eyes off the splendid architecture; every single building was awe inspiring in scale. It was breathtaking. She didn't think a militaristic nation would be interested in such grand building projects. Perhaps there was more to these people than just war.
"How many people live here?" She asked, genuinely curious.
"New York City is home to more than 10 million people," Ambassador Smith replied through the droid.
"10 million?" Maribelle blurted out in surprise.
She wondered how any of this was possible—with or without magic. She had been tutored by the finest scholars in the empire. The wheels started turning in her head, trying to figure out how these towers didn't collapse under their own weight. They were just so tall! How much farmland was required to feed all those people? How did they keep the city so pristinely clean? There was no sewage or waste on the streets at all.
The droid kept translating for Ambassador Smith as she began pointing out landmarks. They passed through something called Times Square. Everywhere Maribelle looked, she saw crowds of people going about their day and bright moving pictures along the buildings. One of the moving pictures caught her eye. It showed a metal cylinder flying up into the sky on top of a pillar of fire and smoke.
"What is that?" She asked, pointing to the moving picture in question.
"That's a shuttle leaving for the lunar colony," the droid said, translating for the ambassador.
Maribelle and Ralva both had a blank look of confusion on their faces, so the ambassador explained further.
"It's what we call a rocket ship. It uses chemical fuel as a propellant to leave the atmosphere and enter orbit around our planet."
"I thought the explorers setting out across the eastern sea were brave..." Ralva said, mystified. "But your people... You're sending your explorers beyond the sky itself..."
As a girl, Maribelle had imagined flying so high on a wyvern that she could reach out and touch the stars. Embarrassingly, she even tried it once with Rago, but no matter how high she flew the stars were always out of reach. For her, perhaps, but not for the Americans. They apparently figured out a way to make it possible.
Maybe someday the Americans would let her... No, that would be foolishness. She had to focus on avoiding war with them first and foremost. She couldn't let herself get distracted by childish daydreams about the future.
She had to make peace with the United States. The unbelievable power they held... There was no alternative. She was convinced that negotiating a peace treaty was the only way forward. But what would it cost the Empire?
July 8th, 2053
Duremar Plains, Rontak's Reach
The convoy arrived at Freedom Outpost in just under three hours. The back and forth of heavy vehicles since the battle was starting to form a noticeable path between the city and Fort Roanoke.
Freedom Outpost was a small fenced off plot of land with tents and prefab buildings. The vehicle depot was a separate fenced off square of land nearby. Half of the vehicles stored there were bright white with a red cross on them: medevac Rhinos. The rest were assorted armored vehicles from the battle.
Each medevac Rhino had a crew of six: two vehicle operators and four medics. They were stripped of most of their weapons, only having an active denial system and .50 caliber machine gun for self defense.
The 4th Deep Recon Team didn't waste any time. With the addition of their medevac Rhino, they were all set to begin their mission. They headed towards their first assigned village, about 85 kilometers southeast of Rontak's Reach.
Daniel looked out of the Rhino's periscopes. It was cloudy and downcast; rain was coming, although it hadn't started yet. It didn't matter though. He was going to rescue the abducted civilians regardless. When they began to approach the village he ordered Liv to launch the recon drones.
"Looks pretty small," Liv reported. "Only a few dozen buildings. I'd say no more than a couple hundred people."
"Alright," Daniel replied. "Let's get in, check for our people, and get out as quickly as possible."
They didn't waste time by stopping far from the village this time. They stopped on the road leading into town only a short distance from the nearest building. Daniel led the marines and droids around the vehicles, towards the village. They could see pens of rembles mixed with smaller birds that almost looked like chickens, but not quite. Recon drones buzzed overhead keeping an eye out for trouble.
They came to a stop about 15 meters from the village. Ahead of them was a small group of young men, or rather teenagers. They were holding what looked like farming implements; pitch forks, sickles, cattle prods, etc. They were blocking the path into the village.
Daniel stepped up and said to them, "I am Lieutenant Ramirez with the United States Marine Corps. We have reason to believe you may be holding some of our citizens hostage. If you lower your weapons and let us do a quick search we'll be on our way. We're not here to hurt you; we just want to find our people."
The boys looked at each other, seemingly unsure of what to do. Then they tensed up and Daniel knew what was about to happen. Before he could react they let out an admittedly not very intimidating war cry and charged forward.
"Hold fire!" Daniel shouted quickly. "Droids, disarm and apprehend!"
The droids slung their rifles on their backs and briskly marched forward. They caught the makeshift weapons mid swing and yanked them away. The droids easily subdued the teenagers. It was a very brief confrontation; humans didn't stand a chance against military grade combat droids in hand to hand combat. In a few minutes, all the boys were sitting on the ground with their hands zip tied behind their backs.
As Daniel led the marines into the village he said, "Be careful, but thorough. Find our people if they're here, but don't trash the place."
Marines and droids scoured the village looking for signs of the hostages. They didn't meet any further resistance. The villagers were all cowering in their huts in fear. By now a light rain started to fall.
Emily came up to Daniel in the center of the village. "Anything to report?" He asked her.
"Negative, sir. There's nothing to indicate any of the hostages were here," she replied.
"Alright, let's get back to the Rhinos," he said.
As the marines walked back to their vehicles, Daniel stopped by the apprehended boys.
"Cut them loose," he told a droid.
"You're just letting us go and leaving?" One of them asked while a droid sliced through the zip tie binding his hands.
"We're looking for our people abducted by the Rontak Empire. They're not here so we have no reason to stay," Daniel told him. "We didn't damage or steal anything from your village. On behalf of the United States, I apologize for this disruption to your lives and wish you well."
Then he turned and walked away, flanked by droids. Back in the Rhino he said, "Alright Benny, where's our next stop?"
"About 50 kilometers east of here," Benny replied. "I can have us there in half an hour if the weather doesn't get much worse."
As they drove over the grassy plains Daniel updated Major Williams on their progress. Some of the other rescue teams had run into similar issues with the locals. They were afraid and thought the rescue teams were there to conquer them. One of the teams found an American citizen, but the slave owner refused to let him go; lethal force was unavoidable. It was unfortunate, but not surprising.
As they were driving, Daniel spotted something off to the right. It was a lone tree with bright blue leaves. It seemed to have a slight blue aura around it, but it was hard to tell because of the distance. Benny saw it too.
"If I'm not mistaken, that looks like a magic tree," he said. "Could be worth checking it out."
"Alright, but let's make it quick," Daniel said.
"Elmot, could you come up here for a sec?" Liv called back to the crew compartment.
Elmot made his way up to the front of the vehicle and immediately his gaze went to the tree and his face lit up in excitement.
"An archwood tree!" He exclaimed.
"Is it dangerous?" Daniel asked cautiously.
"Not at all," Elmot replied. "On the contrary, they're incredibly valuable."
The convoy came to a stop near the tree. The civilian scientists eagerly followed Elmot up to the tree and began taking samples. A few marines went with them while the rest got fuel out of the logistic truck and refilled the Rhinos.
The archwood tree was beautiful to look at. Glowing blue symbols were inscribed all along the tree; its trunk, every branch, even every twig had them. The leaves were green, but they had an aura to them making them look more blue than green. The tree was obviously missing a bunch of branches. There were stubs of what had once been offshoots all over it.
"So, Elmot, what makes archwood trees so special?" Benny asked.
"Archwood trees are deeply infused with mana," he explained. "They are the most magical plants in the world."
"What are these symbols..." Liv began as she examined the tree's glowing patterns. Suddenly she stiffened and turned away from them. "Nevermind, they're not that interesting."
"Ah, those are the runes," Elmot explained. "They are incredibly powerful, but no one knows their purpose, if they have one at all. Anyone who tries to study them is overwhelmed with a sudden desire to do anything else. It's best not to dwell on them."
"Why is it missing so many branches," David asked while he pulled a few leaves off the tree to study later.
"Archwood trees are used to make wands and staffs, among other things. "In fact," light blue particles flowed around Elmot's hand as he formed a glowing blue ball that crackled with magical energy. Then, the ball morphed into a disk and he raised it towards one of the few remaining branches, "I'd like to take this branch here and construct myself a new staff, now that I'm no longer a slave of the Rontak Empire."
The blue disk seemed to spin around like a saw blade. It cut off a two meter shaft of wood from the tree. Faint smoke and magic particles came out of where the branch was cut. As soon as it was severed, its glowing runes dimmed. The Americans looked at Elmot with surprise.
"You won't find many Rontak mages capable of manipulating magical energy that precisely," he said proudly as he picked up the fallen branch and marched back to the Rhinos.
David launched a flurry of questions at Elmot about what he just did. Daniel overheard something about channeling mana into a physical form and then forming that energy into a specific shape. Everyone got back in the vehicles and they continued on to the next village.
The recon drones showed that this village wasn't like the others they've been to before. There was a large building situated in the middle of a loose cluster of smaller buildings. It was made of wood and stone while the smaller buildings were more consistent with the crude huts in the other villages. The central building had a small wall around it, only about two meters tall. It looked like someone wealthy lived there.
Benny pulled the Rhino up to the cobblestone wall. A group of people were waiting to greet them behind a fancy metal gate. One of them was clearly in charge. He wore lavish green robes with yellow patterns. The rest were Rontak soldiers carrying spears and shields, with one exception: a man who clearly looked like a slave.
"This looks like trouble," Liv said.
"Identity confirmed," said the Rhino's AI. "Facial recognition identified Andrew Vikers, caucasian male, age 38, abducted from New York City by the Rontak Empire."
"We found one!" Liv exclaimed.
"The hell do these scumbags think they're doing?" Benny said. "They're just standing there."
"Be ready with the ADS," Daniel told them. "These guys don't like they're gonna just hand him over."
"Yes sir!" they both replied.
Benny elevated the rear suspension and lowered the front suspension while Liv unfolded the ADS from its stowed position and took aim at the group.
"Let's go bring him home," Daniel said.
The droids jumped down off the vehicles, startling the Rontak soldiers. Marines followed suit, running out of the Rhinos and around the sides with practiced efficiency. They took up a loose semi circle formation around the outside of the gate with their rifles pointed at the enemy. The Rontak soldiers likewise took a defensive stance with their shields and lowered their spear points. One of them, however, drew a sword and stayed close to the civilian.
The man in charge stepped forward and said, "Welcome to my manor! You must be the mysterious Americans who come in search of your people."
"Release the hostage now!" Daniel yelled.
"Hostage? I don't know what you mean. I'm an honest merchant, not a petty crook. I bought this slave at a legitimate auction when I heard about your victory over the Empire. I figured your people must be wealthy and powerful and would pay handsomely to buy him back. What can you offer in exchange–"
"This is not a negotiation!" Daniel barked. "Release the hostage NOW, or we will use force!"
Speaking more firmly, the man said, "I acquired this slave at considerable expense and I expect to be compensated!"
"Daniel, come in." It was Liv from inside the Rhino on the radio.
"What is it?" he replied, too quiet for the enemy soldiers to hear.
"The drones have picked up an invisible heat signature approaching on your left. It looks like a person. I think it's the same kind of trick they used during the second assault on the portal."
"Target the heat signature with the ADS and have the droids ready to take out the enemy soldiers when I give the signal."
The marines couldn't risk shooting in the direction of the hostage, but the droids could; they had near perfect aim. There were only seven enemy soldiers, eight if you counted the slaver. The droids could neutralize the soldiers and then climb over the wall to secure him and the hostage.
"Well? What say you, Americans?" Asked the leader. "Will you pay me for my troubles and leave amicably, or was this a poor investment on my part?"
Daniel's lips cracked a smile. "The United States does not negotiate with terrorists. NOW!"
The ADS silently activated and a scream of pain came from the left, muffled by the sound of seven rifles firing at once. The last droid was already scrambling towards the wall, followed by the others. Daniel turned his attention to the apparent enemy mage on the left.
The unknown heat signature was relayed to his tac visor from the overhead drones. He was hiding behind a small hut. It was starting to rain a bit more now. Daniel's boots stepped through the mud as he advanced towards the corner of the building with four of his marines, Maya, Ethan, Jennifer and Sam.
All of a sudden, something tripped his foot and he almost fell face first to the ground. Sam wasn't so lucky and she fell, dropping her rifle. He looked down and saw mud wrapping around their feet. Before he could react, the mage, now visible, jumped out from behind the corner and hit them with an invisible force.
All five of them flew 10 meters through the air and landed with a thud. On his back, Daniel leaned forward and aimed his ARX-35 assault rifle at the enemy mage. Light blue particles around the mage intensified as he created a translucent bubble around himself.
He fired his weapon a few times and the bubble rippled. This was the same kind of shield the enemy mages used during the assault on Rontak's Reach. He kept firing, joined by the other marines as they got to their feet and cautiously advanced towards the mage.
Inside the shield, the mage formed a ball of energy in his hand, just like what Elmot did earlier. But this one looked less refined; there were more crackles of energy shooting off of it. Then, the mage threw the ball of energy at Ethan. He dove out of the way, but it still grazed his arm and he let out a cry of pain.
Bullets rippled off the shield protecting the mage, but it was getting weaker. It began to lose color until it finally dispelled in a swarm of magic particles. Before the enemy mage could do anything else, his body was riddled with bullets and fell to the ground.
"Ethan, you good?" Daniel asked. There was a decent sized burn on his arm. What was more concerning was that it was also dimly glowing and radiating magic particles.
"I'll be fine, sir," he said, gritting his teeth. "Hurts like hell, but it'll take more than that to keep me down."
"That burn looks pretty bad. Get yourself checked out by the medics. Have Elmot take a look too."
Ethan went to the medevac Rhino without complaint and the other three marines checked the mage's body. Daniel went back to the gate to check on the civilian. The gate was open and Andrew Vickers was wrapped in a blanket. Two marines were leading him to the medevac Rhino. He had a few scrapes and bruises but didn't seem seriously injured.
Daniel walked up to him and asked, "I know you've been through a lot, but can you tell me if anyone else was taken here with you?"
"I was the only one, um, sir," the civilian replied. "That bastard, Waghlum, bought me at an auction and wanted to make a profit holding me for ransom."
Putting a hand on his shoulder, Daniel said, "Don't worry, you're safe now. We're taking you home."
As Andrew was led to the medevac Rhino, Waghlum began hurling insults while being restrained by two droids.
"Thieves and robbers, the lot of you!"
"Will you shut up," Daniel yelled.
"That slave is my property! You can't just steal him from me! You owe me, Americans!"
With an annoyed sigh, Daniel ignored him and went up to the Rhino's command cabin. When Benny saw him he said, "Dude, that guy force pushed you like a freaking Jedi! I have got to learn me some magic!"
Also ignoring Benny, Daniel radioed Major Williams and called for an airlift to get Andrew back to Fort Roanoke. So far the rescue mission was going as well as could be expected.
Author's Note: Based on your feedback, I'll be cutting back on the worldbuilding sections a bit. They were way too long and gave out too much information to you, the audience, but not the characters. I'll still do them occasionally, but not every chapter. And they'll be much shorter from now on.