Here I stand, before the sacred Shrine dedicated to the Crystal Herald Vierra. A humble gathering of her most devout of warriors are here in light of recent mummerings, of beings whose unbelieving hearts serve only their own.
My hunter senses pick up the dents in the soil, believing it to be made by them. Strange footprints these are, for they do not bear the mark of our humble shoes. For the tracks to have imprinted such a fine shape into the ground, I must assume these beings are heavy.
"The shrine has been tainted," I speak out with clenched fists, feeling lost on what to do. My thoughts are tainted with the seeds of anger.
Maira will be most displeased about this, already I can envision the sadness engulfing her beautiful features. That shall not stand! If it is needed, I will see these enigmatic beings be put on trial personally.
Anger befalls the rest of us, as we notice the desecreation of crystals littering the statue of our beloved goddess. They lie dead with darkness, only the presence of the truly unfaithful could have done something as horrible as this.
"It appears the seers are correct, there are beings who are not of Elven kind roaming this island." The trees rustle peacefully even in the wake of such alarming revelations, truly they are indifferent to all things.
"I will visit the realm of nature." I said, placing my palms together for the incantation.
My fellow hunters send me looks of approval, "Very well, we shall await your return to the living."
"Please do make haste! I can no longer sense the living aura of our sentinel golems... I fear the worst."
"Worry not, I will be swift in my endeavors." Clearing my thoughts, I reach out to the forest using the gift of magic. All too soon I feel my senses drift away, paving the way for my entry into another realm.
The kindred spirits of nature welcome my soul as I venture into their wondrous world. I rush through the boundary with haste, knowing there is little time to dither.
Countless number of souls circle overhead, each one being a beautiful iridescent wisp, their ghostly forms being the only remnant of what they once were in a past life.
The wise ancestors of elven kind, the ever graceful sea serpents, and many more. Green and blue, the eternal colours of life run rampant here, always a home for the living when their time is up.
In the distant future, I too shall dwell amongst them...
Mustering the courage within, I speak to the Pantheon of spirits gathering before me. "I seek answers, our sacred shrine has been scarred by unbelievers not of our kind."
"What are they?" I timidly ask, perhaps more than a little afraid of the answer.
Voices fill the air, and faint whispers taint my wanting ears with knowledge. "Warriors of conflict, they hide within their hearts souls of steel...."
"Are they enemies perhaps?" The spirits continue to dance, driven by a timeless calling only they must adhere to.
From all around, the voices reply in perfect unison, "...Harbingers of chaos, and incomprehensible knowledge."
With the silence, I take their words to my heart. The words are descriptive and yet vague, that is to be expected, but nonetheless some questions have been answered.
Much is still shrouded in mystery, but I nonetheless decide to extend my thanks to the spirits, "You have my everlasting gratitude for the insight." There is nothing more to do in this plane of existence, I must return to the living realm.
With that strong urge fueling my thoughts, a dark fog invades my vision, pushing away the vibrant colours of the realm of nature. Silence prevails and stillness reigns supreme. All too soon I feel the reassuring warmth of my own body return.
Opening my eyes, the faces of my fellow hunters greet me. Behind them, the leaves gracefully partake in a gentle dance, moving in the rhythm set forth by the approaching storm.
"We must find these beings with haste." My words are spoken with a sense of dread. I pray they come in peace, it will not bode well to commit violence in such a sacred time. "The spirits speak of them with caution, we are facing warriors with souls of steel."
Uncertain mummers fill the air as I finish that statement. Only the naive would cast such warnings aside.
Sad grey taints the colours all around, serving perhaps as a harbinger of what the future holds. May the Crystal Herald bless us with her guidance forevermore.
"Very well, let us seek their encampment," A more experienced hunter declares, "...the tracks are fresh, they lead to the north."
He continues on with a much more solemn tone, "Hmmm...it appears our sentinel golems have pursued them." For the first time in many days, uncertainty enters my thoughts.
"That must explain the absence of their life essence. They were undoubtedly slain by their hands."
Is it wise to track them? I want to return to my family alive. Yet at the same time I must face these beings should their intentions not be of a noble kind.
Protect.....
Creeping into my thoughts, are the faces of my beloved. Maira....and Lumina, I swore to protect them until the black grip of death claims me.
A difficult choice this is. But my path is set. "It may be dangerous but..." I pause, aiming my sights to the northern clouds, "we know what must be done."
"Most definitely, let us press on." Everyone shares a dutiful nod to one another. After the gesture is done, I drape the hood over my head.
The shadows upon my face hide my slightly fearful expression as I give one last bow to the statue of Vierra. The crystal ornates still lay dead, but the warm presence of the Crystal Herald remains strong.
Please protect my family as I venture into the jaws of uncertainty...
My back now faces the sacred shrine and with it, the village I call home as well. Imbuing my legs with magic, I follow the rest of the hunters. The wind rushes against my fluttering cloak as I keep up the nimble footsteps. At such speeds, my footing must be tuned lest I lose my balance.
As one unified force, we carve a path deep into the once lively forest.
One hunter in particular melds into the darkness with aid from the clouds above, moving very much like a swift wraith. The shadows casted did wonders to stave of the light of day.
My bow is drawn, arrows are at the ready. To the source of this mystery I go. I am no warrior, should my fears ring true this matter will fall into the hands of the Grand Cabals from the capital Island.
If there are elves who have steels within their souls, it would be them.
======
-1542 Military Hours
Things are coming clear, the settlement is in visual. My eyes dart to each and every individual, taking note of their strange clothing. Green sleeveless fittings, simple to look at and certainly having its own appeal.
For a brief moment, a sense of peace washes over me. This is an entire culture, that fact just made it more surreal for my senses as I continue to march forward.
Their ears are quite elongated, much like a certain mythical race. Smooth skin, small noses. I'm beginning to think this is all a massive dream once again.
But I would only fool myself should I believe that train of thought. It's been years since I had a genuinely 'good' night sleep, let alone a dream.
Shoving that aside, it's time we get things done. Resuming my none provocative advance, the initiative displayed prompts everyone to leave the cover of the tree line.
Both units slowly push into the settlement catching the attention of its inhabitants. Cold silence permeates throughout the area as I assess the terrain for anything remotely resembling a glowing blue crystal.
The only emotion I can extract from the eyes of the men, women and children here is fear. That reasonable look of terror, I've come to expect that sort of reaction.
They don't look like the sort to fight. In all honestly, I seriously doubt their capability to stop us in any way or form.
Still, the behemoths were guarding this place. Did these people make them? If they did, it would be wise to not do anything rash.
I'll have to thread this situation carefully, "Keep your weapons aimed down." With me at the forefront, the locals naturally had their eyes all on me. The attention is quite....detestable, but I won't even try to return a heated glare, there's no need to escalate the already awkward tension.
"They're clearly frightened of us," Robert voices out, clearly amused to a certain extent, "frankly I won't blame them for that."
"They sure are, but we're only here to assess their threat level not harm them. We keep to ourselves, and we should be fine," Douglas reassures our Communication Specialist.
I take the moment to respond, "Agreed, we'll just poke around. Nothing too intrusive, don't need to spook them."
The helmet works well to provide a slight intimidation factor, but sometimes I can't help but classify it as a liability when dealing with situations such as this. The maids and retainers back at the Euralian palace went well out of their way to avoid me and my men.
We're just too damn unapproachable.
"Alright, you all know the drill. I shouldn't need to explain," I focus on getting my words through the radio, stopping the prolonged stares from getting under my skin, "anything resembling offensive hardware, note it down and don't touch it."
As expected, my team is fully on board one hundred percent.
"Understood."
"Acknowledged."
"Wilco."
Narkis points to the south with a tilt of his head. "My unit will take a closer look of those docks, the drones have flagged that as an area of interest."
"Sure thing, just stay on the safe side of things." A few words of encouragement wouldn't hurt anyone.
He has more experience than me as an operative, I trust his judgement more than my own family if I'm being honest.
"Likewise to you friend," He nods, more than likely hiding a smile under that visor.
I watch from my peripheral as he leads his team further toward their destination. After a turn on a boulevard sandwiched between two houses, they leave my visual.
With my weapon at the ready, I focus my vision back to the front. Confidence exudes from my steps as I survey the area ahead with scrutinizing eyes.
Everyone breaks off to specific sectors, knowing full well of the slight inherent risk of doing so.
Switching my attention to the locals, it is evident right away they are weary of my presence. There is a considerable gap between me and them.
Everywhere I went, a wide berth is given. The men wore expressions of uneasiness, a handful have what appears to resemble a bow. I keep those individuals under my radar.
To my immediate right, a door abruptly opens. A cold shiver runs down my back as I swivel the weapon to fire on the possible threat.
My undivided attention burns a hole through the culprit's head. Peering out of the house, is a lady with exotic features. She is just as surprised as I am it seems.
Time is irrelevant as I capture her attention with mine. The visor keeps my expression from showing as I discern the emotions floating within her gem-like eyes. Alluring as the women is, I cannot disregard the expression of fear quickly replacing her confusion stricken face.
I point the weapon away from her torso, listening to the faint gasps of her voice. Without additional time to register what had happened, the door slams shut.
Hurried footsteps within could be heard with my trained ears, along with the muffled voice of a woman. The surrounding stares increase in intensity, forcing me to whip around and fire off a heated glare in response.
The retaliation shuts up all of the incomprehensible murmuring , giving me some well needed breathing room.
Special focus is given to the ones armed with the bows to dissuade them from any funny thoughts. It won't take much to send me over the next level.
Appearing as little more than specks at their current altitude, the drones record my predicament as I tentatively continue the threat assessment with annoyance weighing heavily on my shoulders.
The others should be having an easier ti- "Get Back!" A venom laced voice fills the air, warming up the tension as I look to the source of the commotion.
Disregarding my previous route and thought, I break into a short dash, my legs fueled by the sudden rush of adrenaline.
Wrestling for control of Robert's rifle are several people, two males and a single female. Several shots are discharged onto the ground, tossing up small shards of the pavement's material into the air.
The sight sent warning signals to my brain, getting my blood pumping as I muster the courage to defiantly shout, "Get off him!!!" The gloves are coming off, one wrong move and I'll have to manhandle them into submission.
I train my sights onto the males, watching their every move through the scope. A strong reminder of the briefing plays out in my head, as time slows down.
-----
"Even if your men are being assaulted do not take lethal hostile action against them, any attempt to disregard the order will result in you and your men being court martialed. We've got the Secretary General himself breathing down on this op, so watch yourself out there Lieutenant."
"Understood Major."
-------
Those are the words Fullerton made sure I completely understood, from top to bottom.
Knowing I don't have permission to fire under any circumstances, my finger creeps away from the trigger as I bellow out one last warning to the assaulter, "This is your final warning!!" The words are useless, but my presence and hostile tone will hopefully route them from any sort of action.
Douglas and James approach from different directions, trapping the bastards where they stand.
The apprehensive state of the situation lasted for several seconds before Robert secures the upper hand, breaking free of their hold with his superior strength and technique.
A vengeful left hook connects with the jawline of the nearest male, knocking him out cold. "Serves him right..." My victorious team member sneers with contempt.
With one person out of the picture, I focus my attention on the remaining two. Mirroring our powerful aura, they send back what I can only discern is a defiant stare.
I glare at the carriage behind them with suspicious eyes, "That was what they were hiding?" I questioned Robert.
"Affirmative, wouldn't let me take a peek."
"We've got your back, check it out," I nod to him, taking a condescending step towards my targets in an effort to intimidate the two.
Knees slightly bent, arms firmly locked in position and with an eye in line with the scope, I was in prime position to deliver the kill shots....if the situation demands it.
"It's a carriage sir."
"Explain," Curiosity wells in my gut, prompting me to spare a glance at Robert, "Anything resembling a weapon?"
"That's a negative, it's full of fish."
"Noted." I guess that answers how they sustain their society. Seeing no reason to escalate the tension, I take my aim away.
Understanding takes over, pushing away my thoughts of hostility. The situation has somewhat been salvaged. I close the distance to the male who took the fist to the jaw, offering a hand to pull him up.
He rejects it in the end, and I can only assume he wants nothing to do with us. The only thing he sends me is a face beaming with anger, and damaged pride.
I retract my hand, and with it, all notions of mending this misunderstanding.
======
-1617 Military Hours
The minutes pass by the dozens without any further mishaps. By this point, I've gotten used to the ice cold tension. The ambient silence is something I more than welcome, the stares of the locals however, are on the contrary.
My every movement is being watched, scrutinized, and perhaps even hated. The stoic demeanor I have on demands I do something to ease the suffocating attention I'm receiving.
Deep down, I know I have no right to. I won't act as though my actions have any moral high ground.
The inspections are admittedly intrusive, but its all for the safety of Taskforce Anvil. Duty takes priority over my opinions.
We will be out of their hair shortly anyways, "This is Desert team leader, the settlement is clear of magic weapons, no blue crystals in sight." I radioed in, intending to get in touch with our guys on the southern docks.
"This is Angel two actual, likewise on our end but we've discovered something unexpected. Will be heading to rendezvous shortly, over."
"Received and understood angel two, my team will be standing by for your arrival, Desert One actual out."
One last passing look is given to the locals to iron out my grudges, we are the trespassers here. Nothing in this settlement is familiar to my senses.
A brief thought flickers in my head as I take in their expressions. What are we to them? They must have gotten the gist of our none hostile intentions, that's all I can muster at the moment.
I focus my attention on the well being of my men, putting the previous thought on hold. "Everyone good?" I voice my concerns, after noticing their posture.
The difference in their stance is negligible, but that tiny change meant sleep deprivation is finally getting to them.
"Little fatigued, nothing major," Douglas corrects his stance after my remark.
I release a sigh in response, going back to my initial thoughts when the ride first landed here, Visegrad Island.
In my opinion, the UN peacekeepers can easily fill in the role assigned to us. We're more useful back on Tartarus, as there's no predicting when another complication might arise from either of the two factions.
The United Nations still has loose ends with Faction Alpha and several of their well known figureheads.
They never did reveal where they buried the remains of our four dead explorers. The troubling thought occupies my mind, even as the ominous tension tries desperately to secure my attention.
Stress builds up under my skin, making the silence all the more desirable. "I should be asking you that Jerome." Douglas voices out, pulling my attention to him.
My steps grinds to a halt, "Pardon?" Looks like I've been seen through.
"You're still against the transfer to Visegrad Island, I can understand that," He stated right away, clearly aware of my thoughts.
"This is only temporary, we finish this job and we'll probably be back with the Tartarus garrison." He finishes with a trustful tone.
The neutral frown on my lips morphs into a smile, "Well, I'm counting on that...." The reply is given in a soft spoken tone, heard only by my men.
"Time will tell."
As my team waited for the arrival of Fireteam Angel, I can only hope I see our original goal be fulfilled. In the grand scheme of things, that goal might seem irrelevant.
Four dead men, still waiting to be found and laid to rest. They aren't part of this world, they deserve to properly rest in peace back on Earth. And back to their loved ones.
I was torn away from Catherine's dinner celebration because of Expedition six. That last look at my sister's well hidden sadness through the window still troubles me to this day, through the rift.
======
Drossal, Interrogation Chamber.
"Lord General, we weren't expecting your presence, though it is more than welcomed," A warden calmly responds under my glare.
"There is much to gain from our Ranger captives, " I replied, masking my impatience, "would it be presumptuous of me to assume they have been treated fairly?"
"Not at all, as per your decree, they have been treated well for prisoners, I assure you." The same warden declares, not a trace of deceit in his tone.
Satisfied with the answer, I decide to make my intentions clear, "I shall personally see this interrogation."
"Very well."
Through the dark curtains I pass, leaving behind my personal guards. "Please await my return, I have much to do within."
Stoic and loyal to the fault, both my trusted guards reply in harmony, "As you decree, Lord General."
I maintain the grim expression as the prisoners come into view, watching the fires of defiance in their eyes. Their legs are shackled, and so are their hands by the metal table.
This must be quite an attack on their pride.
I set my sights to the lady clad in a crimson mantle, "How goes the endeavors Chief Warden?"
She sighs in response, "These three are stubborn imbeciles, I would much prefer had you let me use torture. Yhunian Rangers are known for their mental resilience."
The Chief Warden continues on after a brief moment, "Not much can be gleaned through words." Her eyes not so subtly drift to the menacing items on the wall, the ever feared devices of torture.
Imagination is no doubt evil when used on such inventions.
"Kill us for the sake of mercy, for you won't get us to speak against our will!" A ranger struggles against his restraints.
They have admirable bravery, that I must admit.
I suppose they can see reason. "I have questions, I trust you have the answers to satisfy them, " I stated, arms folded to my golden chest plate.
"Don't be a fool, me and my comrades will never give up our military secrets and betray the Federation, " He sneers at my very presence.
At the Ranger's rather aggressive demeanor, the Chief Warden steps in with an icy cold tone, "If you do value your tongue, I suggest you to halt your insults. You are speaking against a Lord General, know your place!"
"You Euralians place too much importance on tradition, we are better than you."
"I will cut your tongue and feed it to your fellow Rangers if that is wha-."
Annoyed with the lack of progress, I hold a firm hand up to stop her, "Stay your words Chief Warden, I do not stand on petty arguments." My tone alone speaks loudly of the annoyance within me.
I glare at all three captives, wordlessly demanding their undivided attention, "You were brought to Drossal in an air caravan, it is a construct of a people unknown to this continent."
"You were under their care, perhaps you know which continent they come from?"
"You are mistaken, " The captive on the right looks to the floor, "They hail not from this existence."
"Explain," I demanded, keeping my tone in the realm of courtesy.
"A massive shimmer of light....an iridescent tear in the very air we breath." She pauses, locking eyes with mine with flickering hesitance.
"Through it is a land of never ending ice. The cold burrows deep into your bones, strong enough to kill."
"And where is this shimmer of light?" I inquired, hoping to finally have the answer to an illusive question.
"To the south, within the unexplored Tol'Khez mountains. Which is known to your people as the Fredgel Alps," The Ranger from before continues where she left off, keeping his demeanor composed.
He shortly added, "That is all I can tell, for the rest is Federation Ranger secrets."
That is to be expected, duty truly means something to Yhunian soldiers. But they have brought me closer to solving the mysteries behind these people.
I nod, my thoughts weaving up a storm. "Chief Warden." I call out to her.
"Yes Lord General Thellius."
"See to it they be moved to a more respectable holding cell, they have given me much to think about."
With the front lines now further away from Drossal, perhaps it is time I muster more of my time to unraveling their true intentions.
"It shall be done."
They must be more than a chaotic neutral, I have lived long enough to realize every action comes with a motive.
From the simple matters of affections to the reasons for war, that ideal will always ring true.
===End===
Hope for things to be okay.
For your purpose to stay.
For the things you want to say.
For a better tomorrow.
Without Sorrow.