"I cannot believe Senator Brian J. Fields refusing to resign from his position. The man thought he could go to a Turkish Forum and tell them our nation's founding principle was bad. I mean, what a dumb person. This isn't the 20th Century where you could get away with saying such things," Logan said.

"It wasn't even off the cuff. The guy said it on a live stage. Of course, the world was going to see," Polt said.

"Think about how retarded you are telling Turkey this. That country is on the rise, and besides trying to encourage them to adopt free speech principles, this Senator told them to avoid it because bureaucrats could be offended," Logan said.

"This is about the long-term geopolitical stance. Iran and France are not going to contain them forever. It is possible in our lifetime to see Turkey ruling over much of the Middle East. Would we rather conduct diplomacy with-." Polt said.

"I am sorry to interrupt, but I am getting breaking news. Reports are coming out of JBCR that there have been injuries. Some type of attack or something," Logan said.

"Another attack? Wasn't there one a few months ago from Eco-terrorists? Is it happening again?" Polt asked.

"I don't think so. That story always felt weird, and I have heard weird stories coming out of Fort Carson. Like Area 51 stories. I always ruled them out because of that, but my gut kept nagging me. Right now, we don't have a lot of information, but this sounds serious. People are saying there is a major battle going on," The Logan Show

April 19th, 2068 (Military Calendar)

Salva, the former Confederacy of Daru'uie

Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore

*****

Natilite stood, forced to use both hands to brace her wrist shield. Her arms trembled under the immense pressure. Her feet barely held their ground, and she was being slowly pushed backward.

Her opponent—a Kiriyak. A towering species, nearly three heads taller than her, with large horns of red streaked with yellow, jutting forward before arching back. A slim layer of natural red armor lined his jaw like a trimmed beard. His gray skin was only partially covered by worn brown armor.

On a normal day, a Kiriyak would be a challenge, but nothing she hadn't handled before. Throughout Aldrida, they were considered a fearsome race. Many races—humans, vampires, orcs—prided themselves on warrior cultures, but all feared the horned warriors. Even battle-hardened soldiers hesitated to face them.

However, Natilite's genetically enhanced Templar abilities were proving useless against this particular Kiriyak. He wasn't just a warrior—he was a former Templar. One who had dishonored the Temple of Hevera and Tekali, siding with the Unity Crusaders.

A Teivel.

"Stupid!" Natilite scolded herself, angry for getting pulled into a brawl. Her strengths were speed, agility, and flight—not brute force.

Unable to hold her ground against the stronger Teivel, she was slowly forced against a building. The Kiriyak wore a prideful smirk, knowing that if he could trap her, it would be the end.

She flexed her wings and launched upward, breaking free of the lock. Spinning mid-air, she kicked the horned Teivel with both legs, slamming him into the stone wall.

Landing beside a destroyed Tawa laser weapon, Natilite realized the Teivel had likely been sent to destroy the city's layered defenses—a recent priority for the enemy.

The Kiriyak charged again, surprisingly fast for his bulky frame.

Two Rangers near the wrecked Tawa opened fire. Some bullets bounced off the Teivel's plated armor; others penetrated and caused visible damage—but he kept advancing.

This was a recurring issue Natilite had when fighting Kiriyak. Their thick bone exo-frames acted as natural armor. Not bulletproof, but durable enough to absorb punishment other species couldn't—especially when genetically enhanced.

Realizing the Rangers were about to be slaughtered, Natilite rushed forward. The Kiriyak swung his ax as she approached. She deflected it with her shield, but the blow's force sent her flying to the left. Her arm quaked from the impact.

Using her Valkyrie wings, she stabilized and circled the Teivel, striking at his leg joints with her blade. Multiple hits made him drop to one knee, blood oozing from the armor. Seizing the moment, she used her momentum to slam into his back. It felt like hitting stone, but she managed to knock him over.

She rushed to the fallen Kiriyak, preparing to drive her sword through his neck and sever his head.

But before she could strike, he rolled over and activated his energy shield, knocking her back. Blood smeared her face as she shot into the air, escaping his grasp.

Hovering mid-air, she holstered her sword and drew her DMR. The 7.62mm rounds were effective against enhanced warriors like herself, though not guaranteed to kill. Their regenerative abilities could heal mortal wounds within days. They couldn't regrow limbs, and prolonged torture—like what the Aristocracy had once inflicted on her—could slow regeneration.

That was why headshots were the ideal solution. Sever the nerve center, and the rest didn't matter.

She fired, aiming for the Teivel's head. But he activated his own wrist shield—white-blue energy with orange edges—deflecting the shots.

He raised his wrist toward her, launching small bursts of white mana. She dodged them easily, but their rapid pace made it difficult to find an opening.

Minutes passed with neither landing a killing blow. Then, the Kiriyak glanced north and abruptly turned to flee.

Hovering in confusion, Natilite watched him retreat in the direction of the city.

Smoke and tight alleys made tracking him difficult, but with no other Kiriyak nearby, she stayed on him.

"Where are you going?"

Natilite froze mid-air, clutching her helmet in sudden dread.

A warehouse—the same one she'd seen converted into a field hospital—stood in the Kiriyak's path. Dozens of wounded would be inside. Defenseless.

She launched toward the warehouse, wings roaring with urgency.

Thanks to flight, she easily overtook the Teivel. Ahead, she saw the makeshift Army Hospital. A squad of guards manned heavy machine guns and bunkers, protecting wounded soldiers and civilians arriving from the front lines.

She landed before the sandbags, startling the guards. Recognizing her, they quickly lowered their weapons. Most Altaerrie still weren't used to seeing humans fly.

Natilite rushed into the building. She ignored the typical greetings and deference given to Templars—she didn't have time for formalities. She needed to find the commanding officer.

Inside, chaos reigned. Dozens of wounded soldiers, militia, and civilians filled the space. Medics, doctors, and priestesses worked frantically.

After a short search, she found the head surgeon.

"Everyone has to leave," Natilite ordered.

"What are you talking about?" the Major asked.

"I don't have time to explain," she snapped, pointing toward the entrance.

The concrete wall exploded inward as the Kiriyak Teivel stormed in, wrist weapon raised. He opened fire, slaughtering the helpless without mercy. A Canadian soldier tried to retaliate—he died instantly. More guards fired back, but their efforts were futile.

The Teivel rampaged through the aid station, knocking aside beds, firing at anyone who moved. A Brevia sanamancy mage cast a Life Drain spell. The impact caused a crystal on the Teivel's armor to glow faintly—then nothing. The spell failed because of his magitech equipment and regenerative abilities.

Natilite understood why. Regeneration made such spells ineffective against enhanced warriors. A rookie mistake—the Brevia mage wasn't a battlefield caster.

The Kiriyak charged the mage. Natilite shoved through the panicking staff and leapt between them, raising her orange energy shield just in time to block the ax, saving the mage.

She now had an opening to fight up close. She flipped her sword and struck upward with the hilt into the Teivel's jaw, using her wings to propel herself upward. The blow made him stagger back.

Before she could retreat, the Teivel grabbed her leg and slammed her into the ground.

She drove her boot into his hand, forcing him to loosen his grip. With a burst from her wings, she escaped and found her footing.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

But the tight interior gave her no room to maneuver. She finally saw his strategy—inside, her agility meant little, and collateral damage restrained her. He had the advantage.

She had to end this—now.

Natilite charged with her sword, having their weapons clash. She then darted left to flank him, but he spun his ax in a wide arc. She dodged, flew back, and launched herself forward again.

Just as she was airborne, he grabbed her leg once more and slammed her to the ground. Winded, she was dragged up and punched in the stomach, then thrown down again. He pinned her with a boot to the back.

Struggling to breathe, she saw the ax raised above her.

Then a wounded sergeant leapt from a cot, IV in hand. He wrapped the line around the Teivel's neck from behind, pulling tight. The Kiriyak staggered, forced to release Natilite.

As she gasped on the floor, a yellow glow enveloped her. Pain faded slightly—healing magic. The Brevia mage was helping her now.

The Teivel lifted the sergeant by the leg, preparing to kill him.

Natilite, still weakened, knew she had no choice. She lunged and struck the Teivel's arm, deflecting the blow. Slipping behind him, she slashed his leg, forcing him to drop the soldier.

The Kiriyak dropped to a knee.

Natilite spun and drove her blade through his neck.

The horned head hit the ground. The massive body collapsed beside it.

Panting, Natilite stood over the fallen warrior. She turned to the wounded sergeant, now being tended to by a medic and priestess. His condition looked dire, but he gave her a small nod.

She returned the gesture with a soft smile and a wave.

"Thank you," the Major said, approaching her.

"Please, don't thank me," Natilite replied. "He came because of me."

"Nonsense," the Major said. "You saved everyone here."

The survivors gathered around, grateful. She gave a small bow in their honor. The Brevia mage cast another healing spell, and warmth pulsed through her as her body began to recover.

Natilite's eyes widened. Comanche was still out there—still fighting.

Now that this was over, she had to return.

"I must go," she said.

April 19th, 2068 (Military Calendar)

U.S. (A) Highway-2 "Yellow Brick", the former Confederacy of Daru'uie

Great Kasin Lake, Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore

*****

Flavius Antius watched as a massive elecprobus turret unleashed heavy energy bolts at the Palatini. As the ground erupted from the blasts, he dove for cover behind the smoking hull of a destroyed AMTV.

The rest of Horatius dispersed, minimizing the risk of being wiped out by a single shot. They returned suppressive fire toward the turret, but Unity infantry emerged from their positions to reinforce the emplacement.

"Ælia," Antius called out, "can you clear out the fortification?"

"Of course."

The crystals on Ælia's gloves glowed a fierce orange as red flames flickered around her hands. The noble elf launched a stream of molten fire arcing toward the Unity fortification. As it neared, a streak of yellow light sliced through the air, splitting the spell apart and dispersing the fire safely away from the enemy.

"They have a luxmancy battle mage," Ælia reported as she ducked for cover.

"Always the hard path," Canina smirked, enjoying the challenge. "Orders?"

"Ælia," Antius commanded, "deploy a smokescreen. Then I want Derion to hit that turret with a rallustum."

"That's an awkward angle," Canina noted.

"It will work," Antius assured her. "Once Ælia creates enough cover, I want the scutum warriors at the center. We charge and apply pressure, giving Derion the position he needs."

The two Horatius shieldmen advanced under enemy fire. With Unity holding the high ground, the Palatini struggled to gain the advantage. Ælia cast the smokescreen, a thick black haze drifting across the battlefield. It offered minimal concealment under the light wind, but it had to suffice.

Rutilus and Vestalis moved up the slope, shields raised, with Canina and Rosa close behind. Kirath Trimptus, the team's neko scout, dashed on all fours past them, climbing the hill swiftly. Reaching the top, he fired his circiletum at the Unity defenders, providing distraction for the others to advance.

A burst of light cut through the smog from the enemy mage, momentarily clearing the air.

The Luperca scaled halfway up the ridge, clinging to the rocky surface. He leveled his rallustum and fired. The large flechette impacted beneath the elecprobus turret, triggering a secondary explosion that destroyed the battery.

With the turret neutralized, Horatius surged forward through the last remnants of the smokescreen. Light daggers rained against the scutum, but four fireball mortars answered, slamming into the enemy mage's position.

Antius spotted wreckage from a previous clash: the Eaton, an American Main Battle Tank, smoldered near the path. Fallen soldiers lay around it. Across from them, a scorpion walker burned in blue flames, surrounded by the dead—likely the first defenders against the Unity ambush.

Reaching the summit, the Horatius warriors turned their attention to the remaining defenders. Ælia darted past the Lats, unleashing fire on the enemy luxmancer. Two glowing yellow shields flared into place, deflecting her flames.

As the mages dueled, Kirath crept through the terrain behind the enemy mage. In a swift strike, he plunged his knife into the luxmancer's neck. With their magic support eliminated, the remaining Crusaders broke or were slain, securing the hilltop.

Horatius freed several dozen American prisoners. Antius approached his Primipilus Centurion, who stood at the edge, surveying the battlefield. Down below, Unity's beachhead teemed with activity. Half a dozen Orga transports hovered or landed, unloading troops. Further out, airships came and went across the sea. A small ring platform had been deployed, and hundreds of Unity warriors assembled fortifications.

"What a sight," Kirath muttered.

"Maybe the dark Altaerrie man was right," Rosa said. "This is suicidal."

"Only for them," Canina said confidently. "Today, we turn this beach into their grave."

Antius stepped forward, pointing at the beachhead. "From here, the American cannon tank can pick off those airships—force them to retreat."

"But first," Canina noted, "we must take down that Dragoon in the sky."

Hovering above the landing zone was a large airship—not as vast as a cargo carrier but larger than a fighter or troop transport. Shaped like a whale, it floated with the aid of four glowing anti-gravity generators. Two large rallustums jutted from the bow, firing toward Indolass, while spark mortars on top rained fire in the same direction.

A missile from Indolass struck the Dragoon, but an orange barrier absorbed the explosion. Antius realized then—the Americans had never encountered such a machine. They didn't know how to counter it.

Looking toward the embattled American mechanized battalion, Antius saw the Dragoon hammering their positions with impunity.

"How are we supposed to bring it down?" Kirath asked.

"We destroy one of the hovering generators," Vestalis answered. "Derion's rallustum could do it."

"My shots can't pierce their barrier," Derion said. "By the time I reload, it'll be too late."

"The barrier isn't permanent," Vestalis explained. "We just need something powerful enough to overload it. Then the generators are vulnerable."

"Maybe we can coordinate with the Americans," Rosa suggested.

"No good," Kirath said. "Translation amulets don't work over comms. I can't understand them."

Watching the Dragoon fire again, Antius clenched his fists in frustration. He turned to Vestalis. "Are you certain we only need to overload the barrier?"

"According to Imperium intelligence," Vestalis confirmed.

"I can vouch," Canina added. "We took one down by ambush before—took multiple accelerators."

Antius turned to Ælia. "Can you do it?"

The battle mage drank a blue mana potion, dropped the glass, then tightened her dragon-scale armor. "Of course. But I need time."

"And that's something we don't have," Kirath warned. "They know we've taken the hill."

Canina quickly organized the defense. Rutilus repositioned a nagal corpse off a fallen elecprobus and began firing. Antius approached Ælia, now kneeling over her preparations. She planted a short staff into the earth, orb skyward, then opened a grimoire and began inscribing magical symbols.

Most battle mages carried grimoires but rarely used them. Memorized spells sufficed—except for the most complex. Seeing Ælia referencing the book concerned Antius.

"Can you do this?" he asked.

She glared at him, pulled down her mouth cover, and adjusted her goggles. "You asked for the dragon's head."

Antius backed off and joined the front line as enemy soldiers surged uphill. He spotted an orc commander directing a Staffel—hundreds of troops. He lined up his circiletum and took the shot. The commander dropped, disrupting enemy cohesion.

Suddenly, a brilliant glow flared behind him. Ælia stood, grimoire in hand, white fire swirling around her. The heat was intense. Her gloves' crystal orbs spun with mana.

"Capitaneus!" Canina shouted.

Antius turned. The Dragoon was pivoting toward their position. "Ælia!"

The Unity began focusing fire on the hill. Antius and his comrades dug in as the enemy advanced. Then, Lieutenant Terrel's platoon arrived, joining the defense. Their sudden firepower stunned the Unity vanguard, forcing a retreat.

But two more Staffels approached.

Antius glanced at Ælia—her spell was almost complete, the strain clear. Then, a dragon of white flame erupted from the magic circle, equal in size to the gunship. Its wings flared, scattering fire into the sky.

Ælia raised her hand, straining as if wrestling gravity. "Burn."

The summoned beast struck the barrier, coiling around the airship. The shield held momentarily, but cracks formed. Flames bled through. The dragon rammed the hull, forcing the barrier to collapse. The airship caught fire just before the summoning faded.

"Derion!" Canina ordered.

The rallustum fired, smashing the left generator. The Dragoon lurched sideways and drifted away before crashing in the distance.

Ælia collapsed, steam rising from her armor. Rosa rushed to her side to begin healing.

Antius wanted to check on her, but turned to face the incoming waves of Unity troops. The fighting intensified. Then, from behind, the Eaton tank roared up the hill, blasting an approaching airship from the sky. Cheers erupted.

The tank halted just behind their line. Antius gave the commander targeting directions, prioritizing the ring platform and key airships. Then he returned to battle, picking off a vampire commander.

"Terrel," he said. "Focus on their leaders. Cut the head, and the rest will fall."

Despite mounting casualties, they held the line. Then, suddenly, explosions rocked the enemy flank, and the Unity forces hesitated.

American reinforcements had arrived, with infantry and Archer IFVs storming forward. The momentum broke the Unity line, and the enemy began fleeing toward the beachhead, seeking evacuation.

"Are they retreating?" Rutilus asked.

"Looks like it," Derion replied.

"Do we chase?" Rutilus inquired.

"No," Canina ordered. "Let Altaerrie sweep through."

Orga transports fired covering volleys as the Unity retreated. Missiles from Indolass obliterated several escaping airships, triggering panic. The rest fled across the Great Kasin Lake.

Antius exhaled. For once, victory felt tangible. Hispana had finally held and pushed back. Survival wasn't enough anymore—now, there was hope.

But Terrel's expression shattered that calm. He spoke urgently into a radio.

"What's wrong?" Antius asked.

"Enemy fighters inbound," Terrel said.

Confused, Antius turned to the sky. Seven Akilla interceptors screamed overhead, launching spirit salvos across the battlefield. The suppression halted pursuit, ensuring Unity's escape and avoiding a breach into Vagahm territory.

It was over.

"Everyone alright?" Canina asked.

"I think so," Rutilus replied. "Did we win?"

"No," Derion said, eyes still on the battlefield. "There are survivors."

"Forget them," Canina said. "Let the Americans secure the line."

Antius couldn't agree more. He stood atop the hill, watching a column of what the Americans call Infantry Fighting Vehicles flood the formal Unity landing zone with their infantry securing the area. They were taking some prisoners, those who were left behind.

He turned and walked toward his battle mage, who was now sitting and drinking a canteen of water. The Noble Elf's maroon armor was stripped, and she was only in her soaked undergarments. Sweat was all over her body, with water drips coming off her hair. "Are you okay?" he asked.

The only expression Ælia gave was a sharp glare as if the question offended her. He only chuckled at the reaction, seeing she was exhausted but alive.

"I see your humor remains intact," Antius said. "Good job with the spell."

"It was sloppy," Ælia said.

"If that was sloppy," Rosa said. "Then our Primipilus Centurian is lazy."

Antius chuckled at the joke, glad to see his Palatini in high spirits. He turned and saw the American platoon already departing, most likely going to assist in the clean-up effort. With the echoes of battle still raging, he knew Unity survivors were still behind Salva lines. The only difference now was that they were cut off.

"We are no longer needed here," Canina asked as he approached. "Orders?"

The Capitaneus turned toward the City-State of Salva. Based on the signs of battle, the city was under attack. As expected, the walls had been breached. Half of the battle was finished, but who emerged victorious on the front lines were still undetermined.

"To Salva."

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