***

--- Sadera Capital, Imperial Palace ---

Date: April 14th, 2026

Zorzal is at the dinner table eating a large steak. He is happy about the recent good news as the bulk Ticaret army has arrived to reinforce the Imperial position and the Moon Elves have succeeded in destroying the bridge in Naktai that serves as primary supply route to the Greater Elies Region.

“Have you sent the delegate to meet Lashin yet?” Zorzal asks.

“Yes your highness, we sent them a week ago to meet Lashin to invite him and his Northern Wood Elves Kingdom to join our league,” Herm states.

As part of his Falmart League agenda, he has been trying to recruit as many allies he can into the League. Not just countries, but warrior tribes as well. Anyone who can help defeat NATO.

“Excellent!” Famulis states, “Lord Lashin is one of the most skilled tactician and strategist of all the Wood Elves Kingdoms! Despite his kingdom's army being smaller than the Swestual Kingdom, he repelled my army many times in the past with wit alone! Having him on our side will give us more leverage against NATO.”

“Tell me about it!” he says as he eats, “it is said that man even repelled many of the imperial attacks on his kingdom too in the past.”

“We recently had General Hasulo on our side, although it is quite difficult due to some careful ‘persuasion’ involved, but nevertheless our strength is increasing tremendously. We will score a major victory against NATO!” Svenhard Moon says.

Zorzal looks around the table seeing much optimism among his top generals. While there have been setbacks in the war, there has been some progress.  

He then sees three Royal Guards with a message with them walk in.

“Your highness, I have news about the delegate who went to the Northern Kingdom,” a messenger states.

“So will Lashin join us? I bet he will since Princess Selina is the ultimate price for this alliance,” Famulis confidently states.

“Princess Selina… why does that name sound so familiar,” he thinks to himself.

“Wasn’t she promised to you by the Edras nobles?” Svenhard points out.

He snaps his fingers, “I remember now, the Edras nobles sold her to me as part of a peace treaty.”

The Edras elites sold out the royal family as a way to gain power. They turned to the Empire for help in their coup. They become the new leaders of Edras and in return they become vassals to the Empire. Selina was promised to Zorzal as part of the peace process. 

“I completely forgot about her,” he says with a chuckle, “the war has been distracting. I wonder what happened to her.”

Svenhard looks to Zorzal. “We know Lashin has been waging war with Sharpe.”

“That means the Princess is with him,” Famulis says, “just like with Rory. Why is it that everything seems to revolve around this man? What I know from Jasis is that he is as tough as Kryist as she failed to enslave his mind”

“There is something you must see my lords,” the messenger says. He brings in a large wooden box and opens it. The content shows the heads of all the delegate members that were sent to meet Lashin.

Seeing the box full of heads, he stands up in shock.

“What the hell is this?” he shouts in confusion. 

“Your highness he also sent you a note too,” the messenger gives the note to Zorzal and Famulis.

The note simply reads, “We want vengeance, not to commit suicide. Do not send anymore people to come and persuade me and my kin to join your cause or else no one will - Lashin” 

Lashin’s words confuse everyone in the room.

Zorzal throws his mug across the table.

“That pointy eared bastard of an elf,” he yells, “I was even considering in allowing him to murder that brat, but no. He wants vengeance, I will show him vengeance. Svenhard, prepare a force to punish them for their insolence.”

***

--- Dumas Mountain Range ---

Date: April 14th, 2026

 

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Adele Bell flips a switch on her UH-60M Black. “That was a strange reading.”

“Yes sir,” Chief Warrant Officer 2 Frank Delacruz replies, “do you think that is why we have been doing manned missions?”

“Fuck if I know,” she replies, “and I don’t care. I don’t want a drone to take my job away. I love flying.”

“Chief,” Corporal Isabel Pearce says.

She glances back to the door gunner position behind her, “what is it?”

“The Air Force really has been hammering the Imperialists,” Isabel says, “I am so glad I am up.”

“Western taxes at work,” Cory, the other door gunner says, “I hear it can get bloody down there. The idea of looking up and seeing someone ramming a sword into me keeps me up at night.”

While she never would say it, she has had that dream before. It is not a pretty thought. However, it would be silly to assume they are above the danger because they are flying.

“I will say, our Infantry has balls of steel to put up with that,” Isabel continues in a joking manner.

The current strategy is that the NATO Air Forces bomb the Dumas Mountains and then squeeze the enemy out of their tunnels. Then the 101^st Airborne Division has been sweeping through this sector. Now that most of the sector has been cleared out so the combat engineers can start building a highway through the mountains. This will allow heavy equipment to move through the mountain range, which would allow them to attack Sadera directly. NATO has established a battalion size FOB(1) all over the mountain range. They are flying supplies to the 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 101st.

“Why can’t these people just admit when they lost,” Isabel says.

Listening to both of her door gunners annoys her, “Frank, take control.”

Once Frank takes control of the helicopter she turns around, glaring at them, “knock it off you two. Show the enemy with some respect. I lost a lot of friends when one of our Blackhawks was shot down in Havcristen by some mages with combined explosive magic that aimed directly at the main rotor. If you think you are above the danger before you are in the air, then get your head out of your ass and watch your sectors. This war won’t end through the negotiation table, it will only end after we bomb them all to hell.”

“Sorry Lieutenant,” Cory says.

After hearing that, she looks back out of her station and watches their Apache escort.

“Fucking kids. Right, sir?” Frank says with a chuckle.

As she watches for hostiles, she suddenly sees a lightning strike hit the Apache from above. The Apache explodes and then crashes into the ground.

Then the dragon swoops past them, heading up to the sky and then banks left. On its back there is a blue glow. Adele sees two riders on its back.

“Fucking Sky magic! We just lost our escort,” she states, “Frank, contact base. I want those miniguns going now!”

“It is the Dragon Rider Corps!” Isabel yells. 

“Where the fuck did it come from?” Cory asks, “why didn’t the Radar stations pick it up?”

“Radar stations cannot pick targets on the ground,” she yells, “stay focus.”

While the Empire is a Classical Ara with some Late Middle Age technology, what makes them different is that they have a Air Force, the Dragon Corps and the Wyvern Corps. The US Air Force and ground base Anti-Air easily took them out and forced them to a defensive role.

Because of the enemy Air Force, the US military installed ground base radar stations around NATO occupied territory to keep an eye on the Empire Air Force. However, while Dragons and Wyverns are slower and lack long range weapons, they are more maneuverable than helicopters and they can almost anywhere. This is why supply lines are always escorted until now.

“I think I see a mage on one of them,” Frank comments.

She uses her helmet heads up display and locks on to the dragon, “mage riding on the dragon confirmed.”

“Shit,” she says, “start suppressing fire with the mini guns. Don’t let them get close for another strike.”

She looks around trying to keep an eye out for that dragon rider. Her HUD locks on the dragon, “there is the bastard. Frank, let’s get some distance and height from that thing.”

“Roger that boss mama,” Frank says as he presses a few muttons and flip switches on the dashboard.

Her and Frank have been on Uros since early in the war. They learned how to read each other and work together without needing to speak. With that, they were able to get out of much trouble.

As the Blackhawk picks up speed, the dragon gets in front of them, forcing them to dodge.

“They are trying to prevent us from leaving,” Frank points out.

She starts looking around for more enemies. She agrees with Frank's point, something feels off, “everyone, keep an eye out.”

“Incoming!” Cody says, “I got four, five bogies.”

“More dragons?” Isabel asks as she starts up her minigun, “I thought the Air Force cleared these skies!”

“I see them,” Cory says, “there are no dragons. I think they are Winged Humanoids and Harpies.”

“Flying people? Great,” she says.

Abele hears both of her Blackhawk miniguns go off. She looks back and sees one of the enemies. While she cannot see what race it is, it is clearly one of the winged races. A Wing Humanoid, Harpy, or a Monarch.  

She watches Isabel kill one of them, “nice shot.”

She then sees this glow from the mage on the dragon. A bright flare, blinding her and Frank.

As the Blackhawk takes a sharp turn.

She hears a loud sound, like something hit the Blackhawk. She looks back and sees a Harby on it, “get it off!”

She then hears more on the other side. She hears the left side door is ripped open. Cory is yelling and firing his sidearm, “take control Frank.”

Adele pulls out her M9 pistol and aims at the intruders, but she heads a loud crashing sound next to her. She looks as a male Monarch on the outer cockpit. “You think you can punch through bullet resistant glass? I dare you to try?”

The Monarch smirks and looks up to the rotors. With one hand he unleashes wind magic.

The Blackhawk begins to shake violently as the Master Alarm goes off.

She aims her pistol and fires at that Monarch. It took a few bullets to break the bullet resistant glass. By that point she hears something break above the cockpit and the Blackhawk starts spinning, heading towards the ground.

Adele helps Frank in trying to stabilize the Blackhawk. She sees all the flying Humanoids detach from the helicopter.

“I lost all control of the rotors,” Frank says.

“Try to-,” she tries to say.

“Too late!” Frank says.

She looks forward and sees the ground coming fast, “hold on!”

 

--- 35 minutes later ---

 

Adele is screaming in pain as Frank lays her against the Blackhawk.

The helicopter is on its side and right now they are gathering supplies.

She sees Isabel walk up, “I found Cory. He is over there dead.”

She takes a frustrated breath. Cory was thrown out before they hit the ground. If he was inside the helicopter he might have survived.

“I cannot believe we survived,” Isabel says.

“You’re an idiot Isabel,” Frank says, “the Blackhawk is designed for crash landings.”

She starts wrapping her leg with bandages, “in the 1970s, the Blackhawk crashed during a test. Normally you think that would have ended a company’s chance for winning the contract, however ,the Army found the crash site. The Blackhawk was still intact. The crash helped convince the Army to pick this sexy machine.”

“Thank you very much, Warrant Officer,” Frank says with a chuckle as he gets back inside the helicopter.

“Not you jackass,” she replies with a smirk, enjoying the humor right now.

“I am sorry,” Isabel says.

She looks at her with frustration, “grow a pair and get your act together Sergeant. You've been trained for this so act like it.”

Isabel takes a deep breath, “sorry. It is my first crash. Those things… it was a trap.”

She agrees with Isabel's conclusion. The attack was too well executed, “check out the area and report back in ten. We might have to leave the crash site for cover.”

As Isabel leaves, she looks at her right arm. She feels a lot of pain, assuming her arm is broken.

Frank leans over, “all the electronics are dead. I cannot send a message.”

“We are not that far off course,” she replies, “command should know where we are. We just have to hold out for help.”

 

---

 

Nesavir Floiana leans forward. She opens her eyes and points. “I can hear them Primus Pilus. Three alive at the crash site.”

“Good,” Primus Pilus Decius Asellio says. He then raises his hand to rally everyone around him, He then gives the orders to advance.

She looks at Decius.

Decius is the one who proposed this plan to General Briteon Hasulo. The proposal has two goals. One to capture a pilot of these flying machines to learn their secrets. The other is to attack the enemy supply lines. It looks like his plan is going to work.

“Nesavir,” Decius says, “I expect you to do your duty. You know the price of failure.”

“I understand,” she replies.

Nesavir is a red hair Warrior Bunny who is forced to work for the Empire. She knows the Other Worlders saved her queen Tyuule and are the best hope for her people however she cannot help them. The price was too high and her master, Marquis(2) Servius Colona, commanded her to go fight.

“Good,” Decius replies, “They might be wounded, but they are still dangerous. We will distract them, and you go for the kill. Remember, we need at least one of them alive.”

She nods and looks back. With her Bunny vision she can see the targets. As the Legionaries get into position for their attack, she hops down the boulders to get into position.

She is glad to see her assassin senses are still sharp after being a slave for six years. Being part of the once mighty Four Seasons Assassins of the Warrior Bunnies. This was before the fall of her people four years ago.

She slides down this path and then stops. She looks out and sees the crash site. She hears the three Other Worlders taking cover and firing their weapons as Decius’ forces attack directly.

She closes her eyes and listens. She picks up their locations with her ears.

She opens her eyes and charges forward. She moves past boulders, bushes, trees until she gets to the back of the flying machine. She jumps and lands on top of it.

She sees this woman and man there with weapons, firing at her Legendaries comrades’ position. She sees another woman leaning against the flying machine, clearly wounded.

Nesavir pulls out her sword and lunges towards the female warrior who is standing. She slashes the woman down.

Once on the ground she spins around and kicks the man hard into the fly machine before he could react. Hearing a click from the wounded woman's weapon, she jumps and lands back on the flying machine.

“You furry bitch!” the wounded woman yells.

She watches as two arrows hit the left and right of the other Worlder head, just missing.

She looks out and sees a twenty of Legionaries coming. Half of them with bows and repeat crossbows aimed at the Other Worlders.

She looks down and smirks. “I think it will be smart to just surrender.”

Nesavir watches as the woman slowly lowers her sidearm and surrenders. She looks at the male she kicked as surrenders.

“Smart choice,” Decius says. “I am Primus Pilus Decius Asellio. If you resist, your punishment will be brutal.”

Decius then takes off a necklace with five dog tags on them. “Do not end up like these five.” He then singles his men to bound them.

 

***

--- Schwarze Forest ---

Date: April 14th, 2026

 

Lieutenant Commander Daniel Richman watches the feed on his NW(3) HUD. A MQ-9 Reaper is high above the operational area, providing IRS for the four NATO Special Forces units in the area plus a Dark Elf group from Yao people. Each unit has some Dark Elves with them.

He sees about twenty Wood Elves in the Nadris camp however he probably knows them more. Lord Lashin spread out his people so they wouldn’t get picked off in one strike. Lashin has proven to be an intelligent enemy in adopting modern technology and tactics. A man who understands who goal is and is willing to change to reach his goal.

Yao explained that her people dealt with Wood Elves before(4) and as payment for Sharpe saving their people, they agreed to help. Furthermore, by discreetly and deliberately releasing the Wood Elf captured by Vanguard 5 with a tracking device implanted in his ankle without his knowledge, they are able to track down the Wood Elves' camp. The wood Elf was initially drugged with a sleeping pill in his meal and being released far away from Alnus, so when he woke up and was confused about what was going on, his instinct kicked in and he went to the Wood Camp that he knew without knowing that he had become a bait. 

“Are all units ready?” he asks.

“SAS team ready,” Captain Albert Nelson says.

“Let's get the bastards,” Captain Ryder Watson says.

“We are ready comrades,” Captain Karol Kowalski says. “It is time to play offense.”

Daniel can hear the energy in everyone's voices. He looks around at his Seal team and sees the thirst for revenge. He and everyone knows this mission isn’t a normal mission. Being in Special Forces means they go on the most dangerous missions, sometimes dirty ones.

While he isn’t close to Lieutenant Colonel Sharpe or agrees with his methods, he does respect the man and he was once in the Special Operations community before he was shafted for unjust reasons.

Lord Lashin declared war against Sharpe in an attempt to kill his daughter Selina, a Royal Princess from Edras. In this personal war, Lashin has been retracing Sharpe steps and killing people he has interacted with. First the farming family, then they killed one of the survivors from the Dragon incident during a trading quest. Set a trap with a rogue agent and nearly got Sarah killed. Lashin came close in killing Selina twice now and the entire Special Forces community is taking it personal.

“Let's do this,” he says.

 

---

 

Tannivh is in his tent eating a salad with his fellow elves. He is in charge of this camp group.

“This makes it the second failure,” an elf says.

“Each time we get closer,” he says, calming everyone down, “each failure only happened because of an external issue. We lay low for now and continue pressing out assaults. We will continue Lord Lashin's policy of targeting individuals Sharpe has been with. If he wants to keep the Edras Princess, then we will keep raising the cost.”

“We already saw some group within their government willing to trade after just a few bodies,” another elf adds, “the question is how much?”

“They are Humans,” a third elf says as he drinks some wine, “when not fighting other races, they sell each other out for nothing.”

“Who is the next target?” the first elf asks.

“A few villagers,” he says, “plus, an assault on Countess Myui of Italica. She is supposedly close to Sharpe so capturing her would make a fair trade. However, this mission is still in development. Our lord wants to be careful with more direct tactics.”

As they talk about the future plans, he hears something, “quiet everyone.”

Everyone goes silent and looks at each other, all hearing this strange whisper.

All of a sudden, the tent starts to wave around like a windstorm just came.

Tannivh and everyone else got up and rushed out of the tent.

When he gets outside and stops and looks up. He sees one of the enemy’s large flying machines hovering there. He cannot believe how large it is and how quiet it is, and he wonders what it is doing.

Four large objects come out of the back and then the large flying machine starts flying away.

One of the objects drops close to him. The box bursts open, and he sees something in the middle of it.

Four legs appear and the center mass raises. To him, the machine looks like a headless dog. That is when he sees an enemy cannon on top of it.

Arrows hit it, but either bounce off or get jammed somewhere.

The cannon on top of the four-legged machine aims at two elf warriors and opens fire.

 

---

 

Daniel kills the distracted sentries. His Seal Team-3 storms out of the tree line and enters the camp.

What he sees is pure chaos in the camp.

Because the Wood Elves have proven to be dangerous, so he decided to change up the game. A stealth CH-47 Chinook flew over the campsite. It dropped four M18 Bigdog Infantry Support Vehicle, four legged UGV based on the MULE design by DARPA. They are all armed with a M2 .50 caliber cannon.

He can see on his NETT HUD the destruction the four UGVs are causing. While all the elves are dealing with the UGVs, his assault force and attack without dealing with any defenses.

Seal Team-3 gets to the first line of tents.

He fires his M4, killing a surprised Wood Elf. He sees more elves turn around to face his forces but quickly get gunned down.

None of his Seals need to communicate to know what to do. Everyone is calling out targets and killing them. Once it is clear and orders an advance.

The Seals form a line, and the Dark Elves form a line behind them. They all move through the camp. He hears weapons fire from the other teams.

He sees a group of Wood Elves together. He then sees one of the Bigdogs jump out of the tent and kill part of the group. An elf uses flame magic at the UGV, trying to burn it alive. The fire does nothing and is gunned down by the .50 caliber on its back. He can tell that they don’t understand what they are fighting yet.

“Secure the Bigdog,” he orders.

Five of his Seals and two Dark Elves rush forward. They kill all the Wood Elves around the Bigdog.

He hears some Wood Elves to his right and turns. He kills two of them and he sees one of the Dark Elves kills another one.

“Shoot the tent,” he orders.

Daniel and three other Seals formed up and shot the tent. He can hear screams from within.

He looks back to the main engagement and sees that one of his Seals shot one of the wounded Wood Elves that was trying to crawl away.

He looks away and moves forward. “Mope them up.”

 

--- 38 minutes later ---

 

Daniel looks around. The tents are in smoke, Wood Elves bodies littering the camp. The mission was a complete success.

He watches as the Bigdogs patrol the area. The Dark Elves collect war trophies. The other Special Forces searched the camp for any intelligence and survivors.

“We found him sir,” Lieutenant Junior Grade Vance says.

He looks at his second in command and sees him, two Seals and two Englishmen grabbing this Wood Elf. He points where he wants him.

The soldiers toss the Wood Elf onto the ground.

“How dare you do this!” the Wood Elf says.

“Shut the fuck up Tannivh,” he says.

Tannivh looks at Daniel with surprise, not expecting him to know his name.

“I know many things about you but you’re not the one I care about,” he says. He then pulls out a box of cigarettes and lights it.

“You want my leader,” Tannivh says.

“No,” he replies as he takes his cigarette out. “I want your fucking shoe size you jackass. All of this was just a massive misunderstanding.”

Tannivh looks around confused by what Daniel.

Albert laughs, “fucking Americans. Elf man, you will learn that Americans are very dramatic and sarcastic.”

He smirks, seeing the sudden fear in Tannivh eyes, “don’t look at them you look at me.” Once he gets Tannivh full attention he continues, “your kind crossed a very red line.”

Tannivh tries to get up but a Polish soldier threatens him. He looks back at Daniel, “she is a Princess of Edras, my people's arch enemy. Her father and her people have murdered my people. They have killed many of our kin. She carried the blood of the man who killed Lord Lashin's family.”

Tannivh then looks around waiting for a response.

“She is thirteen, mate,” Albert states, “I worked out with her, the sweetest thing on this plant.”

“Does it sound like anyone cares about your people's drama story?” he says and then smokes, “we know nothing about your war with the Edras and we don’t care. As my English mate here said she is a kid. A sweet and beautiful kid. We all saw her and enjoyed her around. The fact that you're willing to kill a kid, kill others for this kid, wage a personal war against a buddy of ours. Your fucking lucky that the brass smart enough to send us rather that Father Sharpe.”

“Shut up Humans,” Tannivh states, “we offered a peaceful solution the first time. We choose not to kill anyone. She isn’t even one of yours.”

“Maybe not but many think she is adorable so she can get away with it,” Daniel says. He then points at Tannivh with his cigarette, “we have a message for your leader.”

Tannivh glares at him, “no message is more powerful than Palapon’s resolve.”

He finishes his smoke and flicks it away, “I beg to differ.”

He then pulls out his SIG 226 pistol and aims at Tannivh.

“Killing me won’t stop our burning vengeance! But at least you can help me embracing Emroy!” Tannivh laughs as he is ready to die.

He then shoots Tannivh in the head.

 

***

--- Schwarze Forest, Tannivh Camp ---

Date: April 15th, 2026

 

Lord Lashin walks through the bodies. He cannot believe the sight. NATO massacred thirty-seven of his people.

“This war is becoming bloody my Lord,” Haoulis points out.

“They will pay for this,” he replies.

“We have passed a point of no return,” Haoulis says. “We must lay low for now and regroup. We need to be smarter than this or else we will end up like the doomed Falmart League sooner or later.”

“I know,” he says.

He sees his elves call for him. He and Haoulis rush over and the sight horrifies him.

He looks and sees Tannivh's dead body laying on the ground with a bullet hole in the head.

“They executed him,” Haoulis says, shocked, “barbarians.”

He looks at Tannivh and says nothing. He fully understands what this message is. He pushed too far and now NATO has taken him people seriously. He was hoping that the war against the Falmart League would distract them enough to not chase after him and his people.

As he looks at his comrade dead body, he realizes that his quest for revenge will come with a high price, a bloody price. 

Reference:

------------------------------------------------

(1)FOB = Forward Operating Base

(2)Marquis - Declared an important noble family of the Empire. Can only be given by the Emperor

(3)NW = NETT Warrior

(4)Chapter 179