AN: This chapter is still not revised, thus does not reflect my current writing standards. So if the reader wishes, he or she may opt to skip to the next chapter instead. I am not as free as I once was.
Thank you ;_;
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A familiar sound invades my ears, pulling me out of my inner thoughts.
The distinctive rattle of a helicopter's rotor blades resonates in the far distance. My eyes are kept trained towards the south, facing the direction of the rift and by extension, our forward base.
Just above the southernmost hills, a black dot rose above the horizon easily discernible against the backdrop of yellow that was the sky. That is our ticket back to base.
"Finally...." I softly muttered releasing a content sigh as a sense of relief washes over me. While the waiting was more or less peaceful and silent, it dragged on for more than an hour.
Not that I blame the pilots though, we are 60 kilometers out from the base which explains their delay.
I have been sitting on that small outcrop of rock for some time now, silently thanking my armor for protecting my weight bearing ass against the rough and most likely uncomfortable texture of the rock.
Once the relief of knowing our transport is in visual sight faded away, my thoughts immediately went back to our skirmish with the natives.
"That fucking battle...." I muttered. There is a permanent scowl plastered on my face, as my mind continuously rewinded the battle.
'Whatever those blue fiery things are, they were deadly.'
I recalled, still astounded by the sheer explosive power of those projectiles.
Everyone was lucky to come out unscathed, we have our training to thank for that.
I stop my fingers from digging into my palms. The peaceful silence allowed me to take control of my wondering thoughts, enabling me to push them aside as I realize what is done, is done.
I have to actively remind myself that there is no use over thinking it.
After grabbing the rifle that I placed right by my side, I stood up having decided on rallying the men, the crescendo of the distant helicopter's rotor blades has already alerted the rest though it seems.
With everyone already aware of the approaching helicopter, there was nothing else that needed to be done. I was content with waiting for it to arrive to our position in peaceful silence, until I feel the weight of a hand on my right shoulder.
"You ok? You were pretty quiet, more so than usual," Remarked Douglas, as he let go of my shoulder.
I give a curt nod to my Second In Command, hoping that response would suffice as an answer.
"What were you thinking about anyways?" He presses on, adding an inquisitive tone to his voice.
'Our entire godamned situation, especially that battle!' I wanted to say out loud, but decided to instead bottle up that response.
After a moment of silence to regain my bearings, I give my answer in a mellow tone.
Clearing my head, I give my second in command the expected reply, "Thinking about the implications of well....this, New Eden." Gesturing to our surroundings, his eyes following my hands.
"Same here...I've got no words for this to be honest, all those strange mega fauna species we've seen along the journey. Some of them are even larger than elephants...." Douglas recalls, his body language broadcasting his disbelief even as the helmet hid his expression.
He continues on with mild exasperation, "It is to put it bluntly, fucking unbelievable..."
"No shit." My eyes slowly went over the terrain, agreeing with every word he said. This situation isn't the product of a stupid dream, there is no way I would be insane enough to dream about something like this.
"This whole portal to another world thing? It blows my mind, I'm just as shocked as everyone else, if not more!" Chipped in James as he looks in my direction.
"This is our reality now I guess, we should just roll with it" Even as I said it, I couldn't bring myself to fully believe it.
"That engagement was unexpected, it was surreal to say the least," Narkis commented with a brief chuckle.
"It is more than that..." I whispered under my breath.
The word surreal is too weak of a word to describe that engagement due to the strange way those people fought us. Almost like something out of a fantasy book.
"Those wispy blue projectiles are something else." I acknowledge, just the existence of those was enough to make me question if this universe had a different set of laws regarding energy.
We will have a lot of explaining to do once we get back to Cygnus Station.
Turning to face everyone. "Once we're back at Cygnus....." I paused, allowing the brief silence to convey my seriousness.
"We will be extensively debriefed, due to the unique flair of this mission, it might last anywhere from a few dozen minutes to an hour so make sure to prepare yourselves for the barrage of questions." I announce, ending with an authoritative tone, making sure my words are clearly heard.
After that I seek out Robert and called to him, "Rob," I call out.
"Yeah," he immediately responds, appearing mildly surprised at being called, his stance going rigid as my eyes rested on his black visor.
"You still have the image right? The one that shows the symbol and that string of words that were engraved on a tree," I look at him expectantly.
"I do, my helm has the images for the science department to look into," he reassures me, tapping at his head mounted camera for good measure.
I soften my glare and nod, "Good..."
I turn my attention back to the south with a mind slightly less troubled. The visage of the helicopter growing larger with each passing second.
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"Central Command this is Flying Viking, all eight operatives confirmed on board, heading back to base." Barked out one of the two pilots.
The ground became little patches of green as we ascended high up into the sky, gentle clouds could be seen drifting just above us, laced with orange taken from the fading light of the sun.
The passenger hold is a tight fit for all of us, but we can manage. Such discomfort is a trivial matter to people like us.
I decide to fiddle with the head cam we discovered, to take my mind off the tight surroundings.
'I will start from the first video...' I thought, as the screen flickers to life.
The first few videos were taken at Cygnus Station, nothing major to be honest. Eventually I lost interest in the videos. A take a brief look out the window is taken to stave off boredom, getting my head to admire the darkening blue skies.
By the time we reach the forward base, it will be dark. If we are lucky we will be free from any sort of missions for the rest of the day. A break is in order after what we've seen and experienced.
I cast a worrying glance at my men, noting their downcast looks.
My soldiers are physically fine, it was just the mental strain of the mission dragging them down, almost drowning their thoughts in never ending flashbacks and shock.
My eyes changes its focus to the four soldiers across my seat, now observing all members of Team Angel with great focus.
At first glance they seemed collected and composed, with everyone covered in the protective suit of grey most of the time, I was forced to rely on bodily language alone to discern the mental health of those around me.
Suffice to say, I've become quite adept at it.
From the mild shakes of disbelief of one soldier to the still tightly clenched fist of another, it is clear these men are also just as shaken up by the experience.
I didn't fare any better, not at all, no matter how hard I try to deny it. My troubled mind couldn't form words, only think.
My thoughts bring me back to that battle, allowing disbelief to strengthen its hold on my consciousness. I release a sigh and recline against my seat, having decided to embrace my own innate human curiosity.
The remainder of the journey is spent in deep pondering, time went swiftly as the restrictions of the passenger bay no longer comes under my notice. In this span of time, no one uttered even a single word, preferring instead to contemplate the dull ambiance.
It was an unspoken tradition amongst those in the UN Special Operations Group. Every mission we partake in came with the real risk of death with the body being impossible to recover in most cases.
Only in the silence do we fully appreciate the fact we still draw breath.
===Field Command Post, New Eden===
The front lines do not look good...
Lord General Thellius was not having a good day.
Each day, news from the front lines seem to only get more dire. Requests for a retreat were increasing with each passing day.
As much as Thellius loaths to admit it, the Yhunian Federation is more well versed in the art of war than the Euralian Republic. They had a wealth of veteran tacticians to command their formidable armies.
Thellius continues to stare lifelessly at the map resting on the large table. It showed the deteriorating state of the front lines a days march to the east, which was the source of his sour mood.
Countless Warriors, mages and dragon riders of his nation were giving it their all. Yhunian blood was spilled in the thousands, but it was not enough to stop the unstoppable juggernaut that was the Yhunian war machine.
'For the people of Euralia, i must find a way to stop the line from buckling under the pressure of the Yhunian Assaults' Thellius muses through gritted teeth.
Euralian forces across the entire line were being pushed back with the exception of the south eastern front.
This caused a bulge to appear in the defensive lines. Brave souls from both the 2nd Black Hand Battalion and 7th Silverwing division were valiantly holding this position even as the defensive lines around them were being pushed back.
At this rate they will be completely encircled by the enemy in three days. Their flanks, were already half exposed.
.
.
.
An idea pops into Thellius' mind, making his eyes widen.
To encircle our troops in that bulge, the Yhunian military HAS to circle around the strong defensive front my troops have if they wish to avoid massive casualties!
Using a hopeful tone Thellius began to speak, drawing the attention of all who were present in the room.
"The enemy will most likely try for an assault on the flanks of this position." He began, pointing to the defensive bulge on the front line.
"Not to undermine your decree, but how certain are you of this?" A masculine voice said.
His vibrant red and white armor and absence of a helmet plume marks him as the commander of the Euralian Scouts.
"This position is able to blunt the Yhunian advance due to the terrain giving our defending troops an advantage." Thellius answers back, as he feels multiple eyes urging him to continue the statements.
With his hand still pointed at the defensive bulge, Thellius continues, "A frontal attack by the enemy from the east will make them suffer considerable losses, so they will circle around to the less defended flanks and attack from there." He ended, inhaling a deep breath to fill his lungs with much needed air.
A momentary silence engulfs the secluded planning chamber as various commanders contemplated the esteemed Lord General's words.
"I...agree, they will strike from the sides, any competent Tactician would have done it." A female voice commented, her tone sounding aged by the stresses of war.
With a nod Thellius pries his eyes off the map, his face laced with nothing but determination.
"Have the last reserves of our artillery mages positioned to assault Yhunian forces as they move to the flanks of our south eastern position." Thellius declared.
"We need to buy time for more troops coming from our western cities to reach us...." He continued, his voice dripping with hope.
"In additional that, our messengers should have reached the capital of the Kingdom of Lerusea by now bearing the news of the Yhunian strike on our eastern borders, they will be obligated to send troops to help us due to the Mutual Defense Treaty Pact signed many seasons ago."
"We can do this! We are not alone in this fight!" Thellius urged, his voice booming with confidence.
Thellius' Speech gave a much needed moral boost to everyone in the room, reminding them that there may be a glimmer of hope in a war where they were currently out manned, outmaneuvered and outgunned.
The was room now filled to the brim with renewed vigor, everyone went into a flurry of activity.
From the highest ranking commanders helping Thellius create new defensive tactics to the two stoic mage warriors standing guard at the door, everyone stood straight with heads held high, Euralian pride radiating in great abundance.
"With the sun now beyond the horizon, we can use the ongoing darkness to plant all of our explosion traps which are enhanced by the best of our Divine Sorcerers, into the main areas advance taken by Yhunian Forces," Thellius Comments, approving of the selected defensive tactic.
"Agreed, their ground forces will need to slow down their advance if they wish to avoid needless casualties, however the aerial bulk of their forces will still be a problem, such as the Arcane dragon riders." Added the Commander of the Euralian Scouts.
As the planning delved into the logistical issues, the door went wide open, immediately the two guards readied their magical staffs, its crystalline tips flaring to life with the familiar blue glow of magic.
The person came in still panting, drawing the attention of everyone. Looks of surprise and irritation flashed on everyone, obviously not expecting such a disruption in a room usually reserved for high ranking commanders to plan and discuss.
The two guards relaxed their stance but continued to hold their staffs rigidly. Their gazes locked onto the warrior, who happens to be from the Euralian scout regiment.
His eyes hastily scanned the room, looking desperately for his superior to relay an urgent report.
"Commander Kaiver!" The intruding Euralian scout called, while placing his clenched fist directly over his heart as a sign of respect for his superior.
The Euralian scout commander wore an expression of irritation but nonetheless gestures for the soldier to speak.
"There has been another encounter with an unknown group of warriors by our scouts to the south, as per standard orders they engaged immediately," The scout urgently reported.
That statement prompted Thellius to speak.
"I assume our warriors won?" the Lord General presumes, keeping a hard stare onto the Euralian scout.
"No sir....the patrol group lost. Two warriors were sent to the afterlife, and if the reports are true these things suffered no casualties." He apprehensively said, his eyes seemingly finding the floor to be of great interest under the glares of so many commanders.
Those words only brought confusion to everyone, with the exception of Thellius who kept a neutral face. Due to his rank as Lord General, he was privy to all reports ranging from front line casualties to the patrol routes taken by Euralian Scouts.
He read a strange report concerning a separate encounter with an unknown group a few days back. There were six people in it, four were killed in the fight, the two survivors were captured and are currently being held in the guardhouse.
A voice breaks Thellius out of his own thoughts.
"They were grey and..." The Euralian scout continued.
Thellius rudely cuts him off, "Irrelevant, describe their weapons please."
After taking a short pause to quench his surprise and perhaps a little bit of annoyance, the Euralian scout spoke, this time with relevant details regarding this new encounter.
"They were holding black objects that fired small pieces of metal to speeds so extreme they were able to destroy the defensive barrier conjured by the patrol group." He informed.
Holding black objects, that fires pieces of metal to high speeds, that description matches the previous report, this isn't a mere coincidence.
Thellius' eyes went wide as he realized these two encounters could be linked.
A similar conclusion was made by Commander Kaiver, as he also had access to the report seeing that it was his scouts who made the contact.
"Commander Kaiver," he hastily calls out.
The Commander of the Euralian Scouts gave a nod of acknowledgement towards the Lord General.
"I shall leave you all in charge of the rest, the only things left that needs to be discussed are the logistics." Thellius declared, remaining adamant on his tone.
"We shall continue our endeavors until your return, if i may ask, where are you going?" He inquires, being perhaps more than a little curious. Such is the nature of an Euralian scout, commander or otherwise.
"I will visit the two captives we currently have at the guardhouse, I will try to confirm they aren't Yhunian spies in disguise," Thellius answered back.
The flurry of activity returned as Thellius stepped out of the room. The first step he took to accomplish his objective is to find out who led the patrol that encountered the unknown beings in the late afternoon.
Thelliuswalks out of the command building, now accompanied by a pair of mage warriors who trailed a respectable distance behind him, both hands firmly clutched to their staffs.
Glittering pieces of glow stone lined up the crudely paved roads, each little piece emitting a constant heat that is commonly associated with summoning spells.
Thellius and his two guards covered the distance separating them from the barracks in blissful ignorance, basking in the iridescent glow of the base.
Completely unaware they were being watched from afar.
A mechanical object foreign to this world hovered in place, its gaze fixated on the field command post of the Eurulian Army. Cloaked by the suffocating darkness of the skies hundreds of meters away, this illusive entity had no chance of being spotted.
The midnight guards that are scattered all around the perimeter walls were all proficient in life detecting magic, able to sense the aura of the living way beyond their visual sight.
Under normal circumstances, the entity would have caught the attention of the guards. But it had no soul, no life aura, it didn't have magic within it either.
It is empty, soulless and dead...
Yet it is capable of movement, it defied the logic of this world.
That thing is a recon drone, and it belongs to an out worldly group of people who collectively refer to themselves as....
Humans...
===End===
True strength can always be found within your soul.
Let it out and it will help guide you to your destiny.