0600 HOURS.

  SUNDAY, 28 AUTUMNSUS 1441.

  MILITARY HEADQUARTERS, GLACIES, YONDEL.

  “THIS IS OUR STATE OF AFFAIRS,” Knight Commander Rozmus began shuffling through the different reports that were present as references. With the unexpected visitor of Senator Orpheus, Grand Harbinger Julius had called a meeting between his counterparts in the army and navy.

  Rozmus looked between the senator, Grand Harbinger, and Fleet Master Steven Ice, “We have compiled the data from the reports in the Frontier. And the picture painted by the reconnaissance units sent over the last year have given probability that there are two strongholds beyond the Frontier where the Demon Lord is gathering his forces.”

  “Interception will be determinate whether this will be a war of attrition or survival,” Julis hummed. “Do we have force composition?”

  Rozmus didn’t need to reference the documents she held, “Nothing confirmed; just conjecture on a battalions worth of the typical rank-in-file: goblins, orcs, elves, and turn-coats.”

  “So, our intel gathering has been for nothing?” Fleet Master Ice snorted, “Are your forces that incompetent Grand Harbinger, this is not the first time that such a failure has plagued your army.”

  “No. If you recall, my men are stretched thin following the disaster that was the war against the Principality.” Julis threw an insult back to the Fleet Master, “I wonder how much the creation of those Galleons cost.”

  “Now gentlemen, there is more to get from this gathering than petty arguments.” Senator Orpheus proclaimed as he stood up from his seat reaching out a hand towards the center of the table. As a tether of pure mana shot into a conduit—a silver gleaming ball—it illuminated in a golden hue and encapsulated the wooden surface in a light display that showed the Frontier’s stretch across the northern border.

  Four red dots in the display moved bare centimeters at the furthest northern point. The 13th Mountain Division had cooperated with the 2nd Calvary Corps to launch sporadic, deep penetration reconnaissance missions beyond the mapped borders of the Frontier. In another world Princess Lecca-Maradel would be the liaison to such a group, but her current orders as the Holy Knights CO kept her within the kingdom’s borders.

  Senator Orpheus watched the dots in silence. A grim smile grew on his face.

  Commander Rozmus batted her eyes at the display. She had only seen this once—in her junior years within her career—so for what she saw it was intriguing to watch as the senator display four soldiers that had gained tracking and communication stones from the local adventurers’ guild moving deep beyond normal frontlines.

  Grom what she could see, the men had been split from their original unit, lost in an ambush beyond the settlement of Stratega. They were outnumbered and isolated, something that would lead to their most certain deaths. However, like the Royal Guard and Sailors, they were fielding special magic crystal infused flintlocks and muskets.

  …It was a testing grounds for new weapons that would change the battlefield.

  “This type of technology is rare,” Senator Orpheus said as he looked towards the Grand Harbinger. “Take charge.”

  “Soldiers, Grand Harbinger, report.” The man leaned over the display as he snapped his fingers, tethering a line of mana to the conduit.

  “Grand Harbinger, 1st Calvary Squadron, Knight Anders.”

  “Second, Arms Officer Hawkins.”

  “Third, Warrior Case.”

  “Fourth, Warrior Herrman.”

  “Knight, what is your situation?” The Grand Harbinger asked.

  “Mana crystals expended, one ration per man, and surrounded, Grand Harbinger,” the knight calmly said.

  “Enemy composition?” Julius leaned back knowing the fate of these men.

  “Golems, Grand Harbinger.”

  Julius looked away from the display seeing the shocked expression that Commander Rozmus wore.

  Not ideal, isn’t it commander? He thought as he put two blue lights across from the red sigils.

  “Engagement priorities shall be delegated to you Knight Anders. For the rest understand that golems are not to be trifled with. Heavily armored and mobile, they are the inverse of what you would expect from something of their stature. Golems are highly dangerous and are one of the few things we do not have an answer to through combat arms. Mages can be used, yet they are few and far between. Our guns can only do so much, so prioritize evasion.” Julius warned.

  “Yes, Grand Harbinger.” The knight kept his enthusiasm hidden under a veil of professionalism.

  “—Knight Anders, the golems!”

  Commander Rozmus narrowed her eyes at the display as the blue sigils and red sigils made the slightest movements towards each other.

  1600 HOURS.

  SUNDAY, 28 AUTUMNSUS 1441.

  BISHMARK OUTSKIRTS, YONDEL.

  LECCA WAS NOT OF NORMAL BLOOD. Unlike the ordinary citizen she was a princess, but, sitting amongst regular men, she couldn’t help but feel normal and in place. Tea parties and galas were things she didn’t find interest in, and as her profession as a soldier within the army was something she valued, it was hard to readjust to a life of jewelry, luxury, and relaxation. All she technically had to do was wait to be married after she graduated from the military academy, however, fate said otherwise.

  Her time in the army was spent toiling away analyzing documents and maps. Before her brother passed away all those years back, they were initially intended to be stationed at a combat training facility near the frontier. Though intelligence, sabotage and assassinations were in her strong suit, she didn’t mind having the opportunity to work on the front lines. Compared to other nobles, she and her brother paid no mind to the obligatory military service, and in fact they embraced it. Her father was formerly a navy fleet commander and he had spent his younger years seeing the last skirmishes near the end of the Great War. He led hundreds of sailors and under the command of Admiral Rian Foltz—the twenty ships in his fleet fought in the largest naval battles with little-to no casualties.

  War stories from that time always painted vivid images of beauty and death. Her father wasn’t just a fleet commander, his origins in the navy began when he was administered to the military academy under his father’s orders. Upon graduating from the school, he was assigned to a joint-service unit comprised of the 2nd Calvary Division and the 12th Naval Training Group. Their responsibility was to teach army soldiers new tactics of counterintelligence that the navy had developed. Her father was not happy with the mission, he always wanted to be on the open seas, but in stride he completed his duties and was placed in command of a small logistics vessel, where from then on, he accelerated in the ranks until he retired due to his responsibility of being the crown prince. Lecca-Maradel wanted to follow his legacy. She and her brother did.

  Her thoughts were interrupted as the carriage she was in made a sudden stop. It had almost been a full day since she and the holy knights had departed from Glacies. Being on the edge of the carriage, she was the first to exit; what she saw amazed her, and a glowing smile emerged on her face. Sunlight cut through the scattered clouds high above in the afternoon sky and shined upon the pathway they were on. Brown, auburn leaves, the mud-brown road, green-golden grass, and not far away the flying of small birds was all revealed. The booming chorus of the birds and the silent stare of a nearby deer brought her back to reality.

  In this line of work—her job as princess—she couldn’t risk missing any important details. She wondered how her brother would handle this mess with the Frontier. Even with the time she had spent in an intelligence division, Lecca never had the experience working in the field. Her time as an assassin did not equivalate to fighting against an organized force, that was her former brother’s forte. Being a knight, he was tasked with leading his men under the 3rd Military Police brigade against revolutionaries in the east. Often Lecca supplied information to her brother while he executed missions to either arrest or kill the group that was gaining support. His tactics worked in quelling any resistance, and the counterintelligence campaign stonewalled any support. This mission was different; defense and security were the priority.

  “Hey,” To the sound of the voice calling to her, Lecca turned around just as a cool brisk breeze flowed through the forest. The nearby trees shuffled, leaves, and her hair moved with the wind. There, Mike stood tall as his eyes scanned the surrounding perimeter. He seemed preoccupied by the instinct to set up a defensive area, but he soon returned his gaze to the princess before him. His own brown hair barely moved in the wind. “Are you feeling, okay? You seem out of it.”

  “Pardon me, I am just enjoying the view,” She responded brushing her loose silver locks behind her left ear. “What about you, Mike?”

  The Ranger looked up with narrowed eyes and silently observed the environment. Lecca stared at him with a curious faze, but she soon received an answer after he had checked on his fellow soldiers still by the carriage, “Just about the same. Part of this area reminds me of my home state.” He said clearing his throat.

  “Well, as much as I want to spend the rest of the day here, I believe it is best that we depart.”

  Mike could understand the logic. He also was disappointed that they would have to leave. “Yeah, let’s get going.” Reaching out his gloved hand, he helped the princess from the log she sat on. Walking side-by-side, both would arrive at the carriage that was to take them to the city of Bishmark. The driver of the carriage was speaking to Captain Oliver and the other Rangers. They had formed a small half-circle around the back of the cart and upon Mike and the princess making themselves known to the group, some snide comments were made by Anthony.

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  “Lucky day, sergeant?” The corporal jested.

  Mike didn’t have a proper response, “Shut up.”

  “Enough, we’re leaving,” Oliver sternly said preventing another conflict between the two.

  Taking only twenty seconds for everyone in the small convoy to get on their rides and get comfortable, Lecca once more found herself at the end of the line. She folded her hands over her thighs as the carriage lunged forward with the sudden force made by the horse marching forward. Once more they set out to the crown jewel of the kingdom, and with each passing minute the serene forest they were passing through slowly gave way to death and destruction. As beautiful as this place once was, remnants of the Great War remained; charred buildings, burnt grounds, and skeletonized corpses were scattered in the formerly bustling tourist town. All those years ago, during the old ages, the Kingdom of Yondel was a nation amongst the world powers that survived the initial attack made by the Demon Lord and his legions of demons and monsters. Ruin scoured the lands and in the darkest of times humanity united to fight this new foe. After the fires of war had died, and had nature taken hold. Eventually the scars would fade and turn into the peaceful greens of the forest. For now, they remained.

  Reaching the exit and entering a vast, flat field, Lecca looked up towards the now growing horizon. Upon hills, crevices, and large stretches of land, a single color shined in the glistening sunlight, red. What produced such a hue was the marmalade like flowers that had sprung during this harvest season. The shine was altered as a harsh wind cut across the open pasture and shards of the flowers were lifted high into the unreachable skies.

  This display was created by a call for peace. However, each flower represented each life that was extinguished during the Great War. Patriots, criminals, heroes, villains, regular people; all their lives made up the 1,198,000 flowers that were planted in the fifteen allied nations that stood against the Demon Lord. They were planted as a reminder to those that lived and to future generations of what was lost.

  Yet not many knew the war remained merely waiting to continue.

  This is why Lecca had risen to the call; it was her duty as the First-born Princess to stand with her people against a threat that lingered just beyond the kingdom’s borders. She had committed herself to the responsibility of fighting an endless war. She couldn’t rest until it was a fact that her people were no longer endangered. Still, with the years passing everything was the same as it was after reconstruction. Nothing had truly changed since she was a child, apart from the changing of the throne. There was no other choice but to persist and eliminate the threat that would once more rise. It was a grand operation intended to shape the future, and with luck she would not have to wait long for results. She and her Rangers were the outliers in this world, and now it was time to execute the mission to gain access to the Frontier.

  “Here we are!” the driver shouted from the front. “Welcome to the Crown Jewel!”

  “Holy shit.”

  A large shadow was cast ahead of the ginormous stone walls that were erected in front of the southwest entrance to the city. Its shadow loomed far enough to cover the carriage as it rode closer. The princess’s gaze was affixed on the entrance, sitting across from her, Captain Oliver did much of the same. His eyes drew upwards to the top of the wall. Jesus that thing would cost at least $500,000 to build. It was simply astounding to imagine people with technology comparable to the dark ages building such magnificent structures. A part of him wanted to get a drink and simply gaze upon the view atop the walls.

  “Goode evening, My Lady,” A guard called out to the second carriage. He was a member of the Royal Guard, and he instantly recognized the princess.

  “Hello, knight. We are expected tonight.”

  The guard in the red grey tunic turned around and nodded at his subordinates, “Welcome to Bishmark, princess. Take your time getting around town.” He stepped away granting the party access to the city. It would’ve been trouble if they were stopped. Thankfully everything went smoothly.

  Sunlight once more shined upon the party as they slowly rolled through the city border. Orange and yellow rays illuminated the environment; the dirt roads, wooden whops, Germanic like architecture, and the cheery smiles of the occupants glistened and shined. The beauty urged the rangers to drink, pray, and love. It was hard to resist such temptations and remain on guard; after all, their secondary job was to protect a member of the royal family, so the kit they concealed in the form fitting tan cloaks remained at the ready.

  Mike let the few flickers of light that kissed his skin calm him. He settled in his seat, but he was interrupted by an unpleasant feeling in his stomach. Lieutenant Andrew instantly caught on when he saw his sergeant shifting uncomfortably.

  “Hungry?”

  “LT, we’ve been stuck on rations. If there is one flaw the kingdom has, it’s the lack of abundant and spicy food.”

  The junior officer grinned, “Well, I’ll try to find some local cuisine that suits your taste.” As the carriage began to slow. Andrew looked out towards the street they had passed down. His brown eyes passed over the scattered civilians that were carrying out their normal day-to-day tasks. Alongside the people, sharply dressed sentries patrolled the streets in their polished armor and cleaned tunics. Each patrol consisted of two individuals that were tasked with patrolling a district they were designated by their commanding officer.

  Coming to a complete stop, there was a two second pause before the Rangers began to disembark from the carriage. Swinging her legs clockwise over the edge, she slowly implanted her brown boots into the dirt as she grasped her skirt tightly making sure it didn’t rub against the ground. The sunlight blinded her as she looked towards the sky. Up above the world a heavenly blue hue was slowly being taken over by the stretching lines of purple, red, and orange. Her silver hair reflected these colors in the messy bun it was held in much like the small pools of water that were near her feet. It’s warm. It was her only thought. And though it may be un-lady-like, she could find herself appreciating the natural beauty of the world. With a light breeze, Lecca stepped ahead of her men down the lightly populated streets. One-by-one, they followed behind her at a slow pace. Each Ranger looked around at the scenery: this place was unlike anything they could’ve imagined. Everything they had suspected was vastly different due to their perception being limited to the great wall that protected the city. Mike especially was amazed by how clean the city looked despite his knowledge of the dark ages of Earth. Like any fictional, fantastical city, Bishmark was circular in design, and it was hard to imagine that any person could call such a metropolitan area home. There was still so much to learn of this world, let alone the kingdom.

  Lecca-Maradel remained at the front of her team as she let her eyes pass over the nearby pedestrians. They were in a housing district that was intermingled with small-time vendors, and amongst the scattered tarps that coated the roadway, she spotted men moving boxed material, tools, food, and women gossiping amongst themselves, giggling to things she was not privy to. At times she noticed that her Rangers were distracted by the bizarre and abnormal things on sale. A smile crossed her lips as she even found Mike pulled to the side of the road by a reflective silver knife he had spotted at a vendor. He held the object in his hands like it was a child, but his own curious gaze slowly fell as he placed the object back on its stand. He walked away and soon rejoined the group who was being herded back into formation by the equally distracted Captain Oliver.

  “Chieftain Arish!” Not far away a small band of three Royal Guardsmen began their trek across the occupied streets. Lecca turned her attention to the men and was escorted by Lieutenant Andrew and Corporal Alexander. The three would engage in a quiet conversation while the rest of the men remained to the side watching in pure silence.

  Sergeant Malkovich stepped beside Oliver. “Sir—are we really going to do this?” he asked in a low voice.

  “I know, and I don’t want to hear it,” Oliver said in a lighthearted voice. “I’m sure that we could be in a worse situation if we landed someplace else. Let’s just count ourselves lucky that they haven’t cut off our heads for our lack of formality.” This conversation was not their first. The calm demeanor of the NCO provided the most resistance to whatever was ordered of the Rangers. Oliver could appreciate in a man like him. On two occasions the captain lost his composure trying to understand and address everything. He often distanced himself from his squadron opting to take matters into his own hands; it would be unfair of him to ask his soldiers to do anything. After all, he had the responsibility of returning them home. Sergeant Malkovich and Lieutenant Andrew were the only ones that had time to check on him when they didn’t get stuck learning everything there was to learn of the world. Randall was often tied up with the Royal Family, more specifically the princess, and the rest were tangled with training and class time. Even his second had trouble trying to make time. Everyone knew of his issues, but Malkovich was the rock that kept everyone in place.

  Done with their conversation, the leader of the two guardsmen stepped away from the princess and spoke to Oliver and the other Rangers.

  “Come along now, lads! We must show you something we spotted!” With no other choice they reluctantly followed the men towards a small accessway that lead to the top of the large wall.

  Following in a single-file line, the group slowly ascended the stairwell until they had reached the top of the 20-meter wall. It wasn’t until they reached the top did the scale of the entire city truly come to fruition. Oliver was the first to feel the crisp breeze snapping against his body. He made way so that the others could stand tall along the barrier and have a true chance to look at the grand city that was known as the “Crown Jewel”. The guards that were presented let the men look out, they were informed of their identities as the Holy Knights, and it was amusing to see foreigners set their sights upon the place that they walked through every day.

  “What a fucking view,” Technical Sergeant Baker whispered. “It’s like Yellowstone.”

  Taking out his binoculars, Andrew scanned the horizon spotting multiple natural landmarks such as volcanoes, mountains, islands, and forests. Stretching from one of the many vast forests, a large river extended through the fields and into the city through several small gates manned by garrison for security. “If you’ve been to England and seen the castle, I’m getting similar vibes to that.”

  “Yeah, though that place doesn’t have any animals walking around,” Simon said leaning on the railing and pointed out towards the wild beats stalking through the red-flowered fields.

  “At least this isn’t like anything what books and movies depict. A lot better than having dirt and shit all over the place,” Anthony commented making the princess behind him arch an eyebrow.

  The men standing at the top all let out gentle chuckles while Mike and Malkovich undertook the responsibility of chastising the lower enlisted. Even for what the corporal said, he had a point; the golden rays that painted the fields creating a gentle red hue was something they all preferred to set their eyes on. From the sparkling river to the darkened forest not far away, this world was truly untouched by humanity. War had only marred a small part, but that alone created such beauty.

  From the corner of her eye, Lecca saw Oliver walking up to the men that had guided them up here. His hands were concealed underneath his cloak. They were secured on the weapon hidden from the prying eyes of the guards.

  “So, why were we called up here?” The officer asked showing his displeasure of being brought here. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy the view, but they were called up here to be shown something, and he wanted to know what it was.

  Looking to the guardsman on his right, the leader turned back to the captain with a concerned look, “We received a report from one of our perimeter teams. They spotted movement from unknown individuals at the southwestern tree line.”

  “Movement?” Andrew stepped over, lowering his binoculars. He passed the object to Jacob. “Please tell me that the threat assessment giving to the king was false.”

  “Unfortunately, not. We have a confirmed threat preparing to strike the city within the next day. Our scouts suggest that raiders have banded together.”

  “Raiders. Terrorists?” Mike surmised holding his plate carrier tightly. “This isn’t any different than Pakistan. Well, at least the domestic part is.”

  “We’ve had our fair share of counterterrorism. This isn’t Pakistan, not by a long shot.” Oliver said to Mike. He turned back to the guardsmen, “Listen, you need to shore up your defenses yesterday. Can you bring us somewhere so we can talk to the mayor of this city? Do you have some kind of militia you can round up before sunset?”

  “Yes, I think we can accommodate at the main barracks.”

  “Good. Our order from the king was to provide protection to the city. We’ll make sure that you can withstand threats, then we’ll move to you can be self-sufficient.”

  “Boss, we have a problem here!” Jacob shouted preventing anyone from continuing the conversation, “Got ten plus tangos heading towards the north! All are heavily armored!”

  “What?” Oliver was blindsided by what the PFC had just shouted. He looked out towards the vast fields, and he held his breath, thinking of what he should do. “Bring alert to the any armed personnel within the city! We need to make sure that this—”

  Shoving her way past the guards standing near the staircase, Lecca sprinted down at an unimaginable pace. “Princess!” Mike boomed as he and Alexander took after her without a second thought.

  Fuck! Oliver needed to take control of this situation. “Lieutenant, take team men and go after her! Rest of you get to the fucking barracks!”

  The thunderous sounds of the boots of seven men rushing down the stairs garnered the attention of both nearby guards and civilians, yet no one stopped them as they rushed after the silver-haired woman who was cutting across main street towards their designated positions.

  Publicly Available Information: City of Bishmark:

  The City of Bishmark is known by both its residents and travelers as the “Crown Jewel” of Kingdom of Yondel. At the kingdoms founding, the city was initially the capital and was owned by members of the royal family, though any records regarding the first family and the location of their castle mysteriously vanished.

  Bishmark is a city full of luxuries and is the economic and central trading hub for the entire kingdom. Merchants, businessmen, adventures, and many more come to the city in hopes of achieving greater fortune for themselves and their families.