"Mono/Dialogue"

  'Inner thoughts'

  Narration

  [Message/communication apparatus]

  Date: November 1091

  Location: Nearl’s Mansion underground passage, Kawalerielki Alliance, Kazimierz.

  POV: M?ynar Nearl

  I had gazed upon my father’s weary face, the weight of what he had done to preserve the status quo leaving me reeling with an ever-increasing number of questions left unanswered. I always think of him as the same stubborn old man who tried his best to keep the path open for Kazimierz to the future, but as, he chose to prolong its suffering.

  “I had asked him, ‘Why bother? Has everything reached such a tipping point that our family must always bend over backward to satisfy this nation’s request?’ Now… you’re doing the same, and for what?” I asked the woman in front of me who single-mindedly prepared her ride onto a conflict she could easily avoid… but she didn’t, she chose to throw away all her hard work for us.

  A barely functional family with an extreme penchant for self-sacrifice. It pains me when I look back that ultimately, all was for nothing when irrationality took hold. She doesn’t answer me, her eyes focused on measuring what equipment is there to bring, and who she would need it. She is deeply disturbed,

  Once the st of her arrow quivers was stored safely in its compartment, she turned to me. Nyx, the real one. Not the ever stoic and cold, not the self-styled monster who pyed this game of politics better than I could ever hope… just a girl longing for respite from many of mankind’s folly. Reality took her for granted, a mere piece inside complicated machinery called fate.

  “I think about that same question over and over, you know… why am I here? Why did Margaret bother to come to Wdirosa? She should have known better that I have ears there… We are now facing the very real possibility of war.” Her face continuously marred with uncertainties as she raised her feeble voice.

  “Mwi… I…” I raised my hand, let bygones be bygones, and we understand well enough why this divergence occurred.

  “I know, there are many things we cannot share. I have never minded how you tried to keep stability coherently. There is nothing to forgive, because that’s how we always operate in the wilds, after all.” She smiled forlornly. She stepped into my embrace… and I let her hold me, as I did to her.

  “… Return safely, Maria has lost enough.” My arms enclosed her tightly with instinct, and a deep unease settled in my gut. Nyx usually proceeds to pull away as quickly as she can these days, but I notice how she is growing increasingly reluctant.

  “Please… judging on my luck, it might take a while…” Her pink crystalline eyes gaze upon mine. She hesitates, trying to close the distance between us, and yet she finally pulls herself away.

  It is a surreal experience. I will balk to spare even an ounce of energy for this abhorrent establishment, and here she is burning everything she built for a government that sees her as a convenient tool. She left my embrace, never looking back as she once more pressed forth against the currents of time on behalf of this misbegotten country…

  Location: Wdirosa.

  POV: Narrator

  PMCs that were so high on adrenaline a few minutes ago began tumbling down where they stand. It is not just about physical exhaustion and accumuting injuries, but also the intense mental and psychological hurdles they must confront.

  The defensive units had performed admirably, and no one can deny them that fact, but they still incurred heavy losses. A silver lining would be that fatalities are less than 200… but to them, trained and equipped by the Grey Serpent herself, there was no pill more bitter to swallow. Many began harboring doubts about themselves, echoing the same sentiment:

  Are we this helpless without her? Do we mean anything? What will she think of this failure?

  Be they PMCs or Militias, nothing felt worse than failing the sole thing they were trained and prepared for. Dissonance in values shows another harm once more. Nyx had trained them to her standard, and while she is proud of them, that standard poisoned their mind.

  It made them arrogant from the simple fact that ‘Nyx trained us, we were made for more.’ Having reality shoved into their face about no pns shall ever survive first contact stung. Regardless, they have plenty of time to ponder their supposed fws.

  “The cavalry is here and we’re fucking te!” Tond compined while he disembarked from one of the arriving cars and trucks, with more of his old comrades of the brotherhood also took part in the relief effort. As on cue, dozens of men began unloading supplies along with specialized medical experts.

  Liam, for the first time today, breathed out a sigh to signal his worries ebbing away. Many veterans of 1072’s War and those who took part in stabilizing Kazimierz’s frontier and beyond are a welcome change from the relentless pursuit of an unknown foe.

  “Gd to have you here, Sir Tond.” The Sarkaz furrowed his brow from that.

  “‘Sir’? Don’t call me ‘Sir’, I’m just a bounty hunter who happens to find a lot of work.” He paused and took in the sight of this unfolding camity. Bodies destroyed beyond recognition, corpses either being stacked like a hill or id on the ground, a stretch of burning fields as far as the eye could see. When the voices of sadness, horror, and fruitless rage intermingled as they hurried to save who they could and salvage their situation, coalesced in this reality, Tond knew that this could be a portent of a greater danger.

  “Still, I must ask, how did you meet with the convoy? For all I know, this convoy shouldn’t have existed.”

  “Well, if it doesn’t exist, then maybe you shouldn’t have it visibly exit the vilge.”

  “That wasn’t supposed to happen. A convoy rger than this had left the vilge once, and they made their journey safely. There was even that time a convoy left with deliberately more suspicious motives, but nothing happened.”

  “… I suppose the problem is indeed deeper than expected. Now for your question, Kalinia got a call from M?ynar, who, and I am not kidding, sensed that Nyx is about to be in trouble. He affirmed that his home front will be fine, but Wdirosa isn’t going to have a good time.”

  “Thank goodness for that then… however, it would have been perfect if Sir M?ynar ceased his corporate game and fa?ade.” The Silvernce Captain sighed, he will be more than willing to have the Tenebrous Knight become a high-ranking Silvernce, but as, the man is more stubborn than a Minoan who resisted the Sargonian invasion.

  “Don’t be like that, M?ynar always has his reason on whatever assholery he was up to… Of course, the revetion that Nyx had been running him ragged like her overworked handyman was gonna stung for a while…” Tond joked with a bitter grin on his face.

  The brotherhood had been breaking down. Czcibor had led the more radical and proactive members away while more than a few had called it quits. Some returned to their home to never be heard again, and others left Kazimierz altogether. His sorrowful expression briefly surfaced before he coughed into his hand.

  “Enough about him and his hardheaded streak, so how could this happen? If you told me Nyx had been negligent, then the world had ended.”

  “That puzzles us as well. The attack came abruptly, seemingly bypassing our many defenses with ease. We made sure that the outer perimeter and susceptible path were mined, but it appears none had been triggered whatsoever. Cameras and drones failed to sound us the arm.”

  “Even contingencies?”

  “We expected our communication line to be cut off, and isotion was never ruled out; we have other means. For whatever reason, it appears that they failed to perform their function properly. This attack accuracy is unthinkable.” Liam grimly noted, the newcomers were already moving about to help with either security or medical. Those who just departed the vilge a few hours ago are horrified beyond belief.

  “Always expects the worst, but Nyx's words on that are ambiguous. How does she expect the worst? This exceeds her estimation of what is a worst-case scenario.” His gaze flicked at the burning fields. A kind of defensive policy she had enforced to give the vilge a time to slow down surging hostile elements.

  “… What do you think will happen next? Will Nyx retaliate in full force against whoever is responsible?”

  “Bad, like very bad. At least her daughter got out, right?”

  “Was that the reason for her departure days before? Then yes, Miss Lina has left with Father Immanuel.” Tond scowled at his answer.

  “You weren’t told about the reason? Like, not even telling much than ‘Hey, we are heading out, bye!’ That’s all?”

  “No, we don’t, we did notice how a few Wdirosan had left periodically, but they got back and do stay silent… does it have anything to do with them? These people left a few days or even weeks earlier…” Liam watches as the Sarkaz doesn’t even try to hide his irritation and displeasure.

  “That fucking paranoid girl, she gave us all fragmented information… M?ynar got an implicit admission that Nyx had pyed him on god knows what games back Kawalerielki, then she gave that stupid testimony for Kazimierz to see, and now she doesn’t even have the balls to tell people she cherished the truth? She is giving me mixed signals here…”

  Liam senses immense difficulty from Tond, the man spoke harshly in accusation, but even he appears to be incapable of believing it. This whole situation feels like an exhaustive yer of precautions Nyx had pced beforehand, but those were turned moot.

  ‘It gives us the impression of an enemy capable of greater foresight.’ Liam did not like that idea. Unless, of course, he acquiesced with Tond’s words. Nyx's intention in fragmenting her information could indeed be taken as a sign of distrust, but he knows better that if honesty can make the world a better pce, Ursus won’t be camping at the border.

  Doesn’t help that Nyx is a busy woman. She has to keep her eyes on those wanting a piece of her, trading and smuggling goods for illicit deals to help the Adeptus rearmament programs, bancing the needs between her clients, pying the part of obedient civil contractor, and so much more.

  Damningly, if what he said was true, then Nyx might not be innocent in the rising tension so far, and he never feels so delighted to be proven wrong should the truth finally surface.

  Feranmuts knows who else is eyeing their part in this debacle, transforming into a Great Game once pyed by Gaul, Ursus, Sargon, and Yan. The nature of war has been warped into an obscene parody of might makes right, but with extra steps. It will only take arming desperate people, training them, and you can be a badnd warlord or ruthless mogul by using legality or opportunity as a shield.

  His deliberation was interrupted when Kalinia wedged herself into their conversation. Liam only remembered the Efia scarcely. She stands between them, fully armed with her sword and shield, while her face is marred with worry.

  “Guys, we will need to dispatch people to man the outer perimeter. We are too clumped up like this, and we know how Ursus loves colteral damage if they see one.” She turns her gaze solely to Tond.

  “I already dispatched some of our folks out, they should be using the old signal system we had used back in the wilderness.” Tond mused, visibly weighing his cards and options.

  “Should I dispatch some of the Silvernces?” Liam offered his help, but Tond brushed him off.

  “No need, keep your men close by. They are much too valuable for sentry duty, and besides, we are not sure if we are truly in the clear. In a worst-case scenario, having you people near the vilgers is much preferable.” He shot down the Captain’s idea.

  Tond had known Nyx’s habit and her many enemies. Should the chance present itself, they will strike or at least harass her enough that her not-so-stoic self can fre up in a fiery bout of temper. Contrary to what Nyx presents as her forward-facing persona, the ever-generous and reasonable dy with a mild case for crime and homicides against ‘civilized’ people, the girl is genuinely vengeful to the core should anyone touch so much as a hair of those she loves.

  “As you wish, but still…” Liam harbors many doubts about the situation. This scale of destruction felt eerie, and he couldn’t put his finger on it. Those lunatics attacked with coordinated fury, but somehow the damage appears to be carefully managed. There are many chances to completely torch the vilge and incur heavy losses, but that did not happen.

  Concentration of attacks would have dealt much greater damage, such as a two-pronged assault followed by a pincer attack, would incur devastating losses. He then rationalized their single-minded focus to fight to the death while shrugging off wounds that would put a common man out of combat posthaste.

  The enemy clearly had the upper hand in a surprise attack, and even when the defensive turrets were taken into account, they required time to activate and spread too thin. Concentrated bombardment will overpower one sector, and then move onto the next bit by bit; that way, the defender will be forced to put more emphasis on reinforcing the colpsing sector.

  What’s more dreadful is how the enemy is attacking, yet they are carefully tailored to breach past the many defenses with ease. The burning fields can be shrugged off without much problem on the enemy’s end. Diversionary units were instructed to slow down the Silvernces to such a level that they missed a lot of the preliminary attacks. Clear division and tactical consideration, such as using the fangbeasts to overwhelm through each yer with a distinct goal in mind.

  Everything… feels like a test. A weapon’s test.

  ‘No, no, no. Perish the thought, I refuse to believe that Lady Baroness had willfully put us all in harm’s way… but why did Sir Tond tell me all this? Everything has become very discombobuting…’ He refocuses on the present as Tond converses with his sister-in-arms.

  “Ursus did it now, and we are not ready at all. Most of the knights had really been fragmented, we can’t even get in touch with Czcibor. Knowing him, he most likely controlled his loyal group only to him.”

  “That goes without saying, out of all of us, he was probably the one who got hurt the most from M?ynar's departure… He then admitted that he hates how Nyx had changed drastically and started pying corporate games.”

  “We shouldn’t write him off as an enemy like that, besides… M?ynar entrusts his sword to him. He might be a blockheaded asshole, but he won’t do what he does without reason, especially when he refused to entrust it to Nyx.”

  “Fair… fair…” The hornless Sarkaz exhaled and crossed his arms. He never thought that the mess would be this bad.

  ‘Whatever, once I got my hands on her neck, she will answer whether she wants to or not. Good god… she is a real piece of work, and I swear to god if she tries to skirt around the subjects…’

  “This is not an invasion. Ursus shouldn’t be this reckless, they have so much more in their hands that a foreign invasion will be the least of their interest…” Liam chimed in, trying to provide some thoughts on it.”

  “Mhm, they cannot afford to fight a full coalition… but that is just the ideal path on this shitty scenario. Kazimierz is stuck, and it is another ‘damn if I do, damn if I don’t’ situation.’ Honestly, it is surprising how this nd sted this long and did not end up like Gaul.” The tanned Sarkaz comment can be perceived as a slight to the government and nation, but Liam clenched his jaw and said nothing.

  Cordelian employees and Tond’s group spared no expense to treat the many wounded as they exchanged ideas on how to pcate the situation, a familiar sound of rotor bdes and hovering jets entered their ears. They look to the north to see Cordelian’s hovercraft arrive just in time. Liam and Tond wordlessly head to the nding pad, or wherever it decided to nd anyway.

  “Let’s hope Father Immanuel has an idea for us to get out of this mess.” Liam nodded in agreement. What happens here could precipitate a huge ripple; whether it will be a catastrophic event is yet to be seen.

  -

  -

  -

  -

  “Sir, we are touching down, hold tight,” Adenaver informs as the metallic humanoid walks towards the ramp’s door.

  “Aye, let’s not dawdle.” The PMCs and others necessary to help with disaster relief are busy doing st-minute checks. Immanuel turned her attention to a female Zak with robotic arms, her expression mirrored his. He recalls that her name was Sil.

  “How long will the Mobile City arrive?” She straightened up at him, showing an immense level of courtesy that was dispyed only to him and his granddaughter. The Zak has been a notorious sailor's mouth to everyone not pretty looking.

  “It will be 12 hours, at the earliest, sir… although, we must hurry.” She shows him the Originium contamination in the air and utters grimly.

  The density in several areas was very high. While the correct measurement will take time, I am afraid that…” She faltered, unsure how to deliver him the bad news. Unfortunately for her, such silence was all he needed for a confirmation.

  “We are looking at a potential catastrophe in the form of acid rain or a meteorite shower…” As on cue, the hovercraft shook lightly to indicate their nding. Adenaver pressed a button, and the ramp was lowered. Immanuel took the first step outside and was immediately greeted by Liam, Tond, Kalinia, and Jan’s wife, Reina.

  “I think you have many questions, so let’s talk about it inside the town hall,” Kalinia suggested, and they all nodded, except for Adenaver.

  “I must check on something first, so I’m afraid that this conversation must go on without me.” Adenaver immediately separates himself to check on something. The group said nothing, and they too began heading to the town hall.

  Granaries were damaged or destroyed and visibly sprouting the cancer of earth, Originium, on their burning walls. Stables and pens with livestock high on alert, a welcome change that not all of them had gone into frenzy panic, but the sights still etch the utter destruction happening a few minutes ago. Fields are burning, the same field that should have been entering its st chance for autumn harvest, usually enough to add more food for the coming winter, now those fields are being used for defensive measures.

  Immanuel watches as the home he chose to spend the rest of his life burns bright around him. His face was a baleful canvas of shock, horror, rage, and intense sorrow. The scale of destruction unfolding when his eyes are not present isn’t beyond his wildest nightmare, but it is cold comfort to know it could have gotten worse.

  His heart clenched as children wailed for their parents' names endlessly, clinging to fragile hope that everything was nothing more than a cruel illusion. Lovers lost their other half is also a common sight back during his line of duty, how a simple misunderstanding can sow catastrophe. Now that has been repeated and multiplied. Broken men and women cradling their cold and dead bodies in hollow embrace or screeching in pain.

  ‘I can never reconcile that I had truly lived through this sort of tragedy during my active duty.’ The Sankta was reminded of the time he served Laterano as one of its topmost enforcers, how he had at that time been the architect for those who lost their parents. Sure, he did what he did under order, and there are reasons why ws of Laterano and the Law itself have been the primary guiding principles, but he can’t help but dislike such a job.

  That’s one of the reasons his halo has been growing a shade darker the longer he spent his time there. He was also remembered by an Old Friend of his, a weathered female Ex-Cardinal who had roamed the known world. She was rumored to have finally found her calling, as he does, but he is not certain.

  It is not a noble endeavor, and someone must dirty their hands so the truly good can find some sembnce of natural order and live in blissful serenity. In a twisted form of fate, his dimming, saintly halo seems to be the sole source of tarnished light as the earth was eclipsed by the madness of war.

  He was taken off his mind deliberation as they arrived at the building; once pristine, now marred with obvious damage. Said damages have been minimized to an extreme degree, courtesy of someone who had even groveled so that Jan and his wife would listen to her words. Thus, this expensive building truly showed its worth, only second to Nelka’s home and the orphanage.

  The group takes a seat inside an empty conference building. These people are Reina representing the vilge, Liam representing the Silvernce, Tond and Kalinia as part of reinforcement under M?ynar’s directive, Immanuel and Sil as part of the hovercraft detachment.

  “What is the situation?” His question was accompanied by a tense edge on his lips.

  “We had more or less repelled the attackers, although… the scale of this damage is much too severe for us to begin rebuilding. I fear that it is not a wise move either…” Reina answered in pce of her husband currently busy coordinating with his people to intensify the search and rescue.

  “Miss Reina is right, it has been weeks since we anticipated Ursus' incursion, but we never expected that an attack so vicious and violent would occur this deep. We are not exactly at the border, sure, but it is strange how this unknown attack circumvented our network of defenses.” Liam interjects bitterly; he prides himself on vigince, but this incident proves otherwise.

  “Miss Sil, can you kindly tell us about the contamination level?”

  “As you wish, Sir.” The brown haired Zak took the device out of her pocket. If Nyx is here, she will recognize that it resembles a dosimeter but is much more sophisticated and created to detect what is essentially a congregation of ravenous tumors and cancer.

  “The device detected 5% ambivalent contamination is on the air, I surmise it will take a few days before it evolves into a catastrophe.” The assembled attendees’ expressions darkened immediately from her assertion. Catastrophe, a singur and unstoppable camity that has pgued Terra since time immemorial. This time, they might not be able to rebuild.

  “What I hold is quite inaccurate to its more specialized counterpart, but I’m certain that it rarely fails as an early warning system, thus evacuation must be prioritized.” Tond cut her off, causing the Zak to knit her brows in displeasure, but she bit her tongue.

  “And how are we going to do that?” He asked incredulously, and Immanuel sighed that he should have led the discussion instead with a Mobile City on the way.

  “We do have vehicles meant for evacuation against catastrophes, although a portion of them had been rendered inoperable. Then how are we going to keep the injured cared for?” Before this misunderstanding continued, the Sankta interjected.

  “Forgive me for interjecting, but I must inform you that a Mobile City is moving at full speed towards this location.” Everyone, except for him and Sil, widened their eyes.

  “What do you mean a mobile city is coming here? Did Nyx hatch a deal or something with those damn corpos and idiots?” Kalinia tilted her head. A part of her dreads that Nyx had made a debt too big to repay, oh how wrong the Efia was.

  “Not... incorrect..., the mobile city belongs to Cordelia, and Nyx had struck a deal with them.” He paused as the gravity of his words sank in. Liam's expression was one of purest shock, he wasn’t informed of any of this. Kalinia leaned back on her chair, her expression clouded between bewilderment and muted amazement at the Pythia's wealth of connection. The other sportsmen had simir expressions, except for Tond, who exhaled loudly.

  “So that’s her game? She has been pying those corporate games to disguise what she and Cordelia pnned? I take it you just learned of the truth recently?” His brows furrowed while he stared at the steely gaze of the chapin.

  “That is correct. Nyx has been hiding it from us… all of us. Jan confirmed with me that Nyx has been offering the vilge to resettle into mobile city, but she never illuminated the specifics or the fact that Cordelia had premeditated the negotiation itself.”

  ‘There is so much wrong in there, but I better bottle it up for ter.’ Tond rationalized the situation at hand, and he thinks that Nyx is the only one deserving a piece of his mind about this. Still, to wrench a mobile city, no matter the size, showcase the insane influence Nyx had gathered.

  “I see… we can discuss how and why ter in detail, but now we must prepare for a full evacuation. I was not here back in the war, but Jan had told me enough that it is not in our interest to remain so vulnerable.” Reina interjected on behalf of her husband. Besides, she is confident that Jan will throw his support behind her decision, judging by how desperately he tries to save and protect everyone he can.

  “If I may ask, what is the status of the mobile city?” She turns her face to Sil, who shows a pensive expression. Reina’s eyebrows twitched seeing Zak’s confidence faltering considerably.

  “It is… functional…” Now her face fell, she was upset that evacuation was already going to be a challenging prospect, let alone that the Mobile City could be hazardous to everyone on board. She crossed her arms, one hand beneath her jaw, while she looked outside through the window.

  “Well, that inspires confidence…” Kalinia quipped, recovering from her shock and stupor. Sil’s eye twitched at the sarcasm, but she chose to ignore it and move on.

  “The mobile city is in the middle of the rebuilding and furnishing phase. It should have stayed underground for 2 more years to excel at its function, and half a decade to be worthy. Otherwise, it can work well enough to house refugees as long as they can bear with it.”

  “Wdirosan are used to rebuilding, be it wars or catastrophes, I’m sure that there will be little problem to readjust… What about the food supplies?” Immanuel interjects to answer Reina’s question.

  “I had seen it myself, the mobile city can provide through its functioning farm, and it sustains workers and construction personnel.” Immanuel injects his confidence into his words.

  “And they can be expanded upon. Cordelia had also created a sort of… what was it again?” He turned to Sil, who slid a datapad over to Reina.

  “It is formally named as Winter Algae, a type of underwater algae that has been genetically engineered to withstand the cold temperature. Before you can ask, no, I was not told where and when we had this.” The Zak ended her words in a terse and curt manner, company policy seems to be working too well…

  “Moving on, there shouldn’t be any problem with the food supplies. Cordelia had assured us that they have a robust network of supply routes, should the need arise.” They deliberate over multitudes of topics, namely, where and what is to do next.

  Immanuel, being given command along with Lina, offered a destination closer to Leithanien since he was quite acquainted with several high-ranking personages. However, it was shot down by Kalinia. She argued that it can be interpreted as we are trying to rope Leithanien into the problem. Liam is more partial to keeping the mobile city somewhere close, but not too close to the border. Tond, meanwhile, advocated to steer it away from conflict and instead head to the badnds.

  The discussion persists well into the night, but one thing is certain: the evacuation must begin. War or not, winter is fast approaching.

  END OF CHAPTER]

  Author’s Note:

  Yo there, this is me, myself, and I, the author who is finally making some progress in the real world about finding work. I got myself an internship of some sort.

  I’m not going to lie, it will impact my upload speed, but what can I do?

  Anyway, we are closer to the real climax on this… holy fuck I got over tangent… rather long arc.

  Update one, and I’m sorry, but the second one this month might be a bit te.

  Ciao