A Few Days Later
As soon as the order is given your men pack up the tents, and supplies with diligence. Soon enough your regiment will begin marching towards the Gate and then towards the fortress, leaving this battlefield you wondered just how many more you would witness in this world.
Your eyes gaze at the behemoth-sized bones as you inspect the camp, their shape so profoundly foreign and massive that you wonder if this is how the Romans or Greeks imagined their creatures of myth. A mix of dread and curiosity fills you the longer you look at them, just what sort of force could have brought them to this world?
One of the staff officers asks for your presence at the small field hospital of the camp, he mentions a discussion between the regiment's surgeon and priest. You thought that regulations were quite clear on what to do with the bodies of the fallen, so there is no reason for any trouble, regardless, you can always help clear a thing or two with your knowledge.
The noises only get louder as you approach the tent, and as soon as you enter it...
"You can't do that! It's not the Christian thing to do." Shouted the regiment's priest to the surgeon. His face clearly bloated from the anger, you are quite surprised to see a man of faith so riled up about something. "They are not Christian either way, so why not just let me work? This is important work ordered and I am working under the authority of the Ministry of War here." Replied the bearded but skinny surgeon. His hand wielding a quite crude serrated edge blade with fresh blood dripping onto the ground.
"What's going on here?" You said out loud, loud enough for the priest and surgeon to hear you. The surgeons and priest both recoil a bit and snap out of their anger. But it seems that the experienced priest is the first one to speak. "Colonel, the surgeon here is trying to desecrate bodies. If not for me, I wonder what he would do to the rest of the bodies. Look for yourself." He says pointing to the inside of the surgeon's tent. Just as the smell, the image you get is quite strong. But the one thing that catches your attention is a body that for lack of a better word has been opened and you see the organs inside of it. You notice on its head the knife ears that you had heard about so often.
"That is...one of the natives right?" You ask the surgeon who simply nods.
"Quite so, but a dead one. I am just conducting research on behalf of the medical section of the Ministry of War, all information we may find about these natives will be of extreme importance to the general staff." The surgeon says quite confidently.
"Was this necessary?" You ask the surgeon expecting him to justify himself or give you something to fend off the priest.
"Yes, this a new world. Not a new continent or a new island, finding out whether or not these people share our organs or not could be quite useful when dealing with prisoners. So far though, I haven't been able to recognize their organs with ours, at least, they may look like us on the outside but they are fairly different on the inside or at least look it." The surgeon but it seems that his words are not that appealing to the priest, who looks angrier than before.
You decide to intervene and give judgment before it's too late. "I heard enough. If it is a task from the Ministry of War, then there is nothing I can do Priest. Let the surgeon do his job." You tell the priest, who is certainly not happy with your answer. The surgeons sigh as the priest leaves.
"Thanks for the help." The surgeon says although it is more polite than true gratefulness. "Hopefully, I can resume my work without any more delay."
"If you got orders to engage in your experiments then proceed." You tell him before retiring knowing that for now the matter is settled. But sooner rather than later, you meet with Major Dunajski. He greets you and joins you in your walk back to the war tent. He presents you with a newspaper, the headline is. "The British Victorious against foul beasts in Arcadia." Below is an illustration engraved from a photograph showing British officers next to what looks like a big reptilian beast. Surprisingly, the beast itself has a clearly defined head, what looks to be two arms and two legs too. Perhaps, that was the preferred form of the more "intelligent" beings of mother nature.
"What do you make of it?" You ask the Major.
"Typical British flaunting sir. Not much else, they probably found more aggressive wildlife than we did." The major look upwards for a moment. "That reminds me that we found the reason, we had missing scouts before. A particular predator within these lands is rather fond of horse meat."
You nod. "We will have to keep our eyes open for those types of foul beasts then. I assume you already assigned more men to watch the horses." You ask him and you receive an answer as straight away as ever.
"The men were not too thrilled to have to do extra watch duties but they agreed that they would rather lose a few hours of sleep than carry the supplies themselves," Dunajski answered quite confidently, you knew that for him reining the men to do what was needed of them was probably one of his favorite pastimes.
You carry on as it seems that it won't be too long until the camp is lifted, which would only leave this place under the garrison of the locals and a new infantry battalion meant to prepare the place for the construction of a wooden fort, which given the abundance of wood in the region hopefully wouldn't take too long. You reach your tent only to find a couple of the native soldiers waiting for you inside.
Rockhaven
The clouds above the canyon are nothing but important
Rockhaven is a small town within an artificial canyon. Since time immemorial, this had been the lair of one of the great dragons and in a sense still is, however, it is now inhabited by refugees, outcasts, and exiles. It is not a very wealthy town, food is mostly procured from mushroom farms within a nearby cave system in which an aquifer runs and provides water to the town.
Legally speaking, the town is under the territory of the dragon Lasirus. He has been in control of this region for over a thousand years and has maintained it for as long as anyone can remember. When the elves arrived, they also agreed to respect the dragon's domain. Initially, relations between the dragon and the elves were cordial, until the elves reached the height of their power.
Entire races enslaved or almost exterminated, a war that lasted decades, and then finally, their audacity in trying to enslave a dragon themselves. They failed and paid a heavy price for it, but they would try it again and again. Each time weakening the dragon more and more, his fighting strength depleting with each wound. Then their gate shut down and left the elves stranded. They were still strong but without support from their Metropole, attrition took its toll on their numbers over centuries and left them a pariah in the minds of all.
During that time, the last of the humans arrived at these lands. Forgotten and weak, they were taken under the wing of the dragon and prospered under his protection. However, they were to swear fealty to him and obey without a hitch. They did so and prospered for a hundred years, but their past was lost and their history as well, only the elves keep records of the ancient times when human kingdoms existed. But the humans and their allies in the fox kin are in trouble.
Inside the lair of Lasirus, awaits the elder and his apprentice. The loud breaths of the dragon continue as they have done since the dragon began to sleep. "Nothing's changed? I suppose he was right about us having to fend for ourselves now. We can only pray that our warriors can stop the elves now." The old man monologues while the young man continues to clean the dragon's scales with almost religious fervor.
"If not then, at least, our people have already made good progress on escaping." Said the elder. Footsteps from behind him soon make him alert and fearful of the worst. The elder man had long made peace with death but still felt fear of the unknown.
"Oh, it's just you." Said the apprentice as he waved at the arriving man. The elder confused immediately looked back only to see one of the warriors in his armor returning the salute.
"What happened? Did we win or did we lose? Tell me right now." Shouted the elderly man not knowing what to make of this, as he knew that a battle against the elves was simply a tactic to win time unless a miracle happened.
"Calm yourself, we won the battle. The prophecy of the elders was true and more of our kin arrived to help us in battle. We repelled the elves but we don't know for how long." Explained the young warrior, truly there was no reason to doubt him and the elder sighed in relief. "We should celebrate but first we gotta make sure that the townspeople return."
"I doubt they will be here for a celebration, they are preparing to leave it seems."
"Leave? You mean they will be leaving against the elves."
Back on camp
After half an hour of listening to what the translators had to say, you managed to get a clearer picture of what was going on. The humans here required protection from the elves and were quite insistent on it. You as a colonel had no authority to offer them anything for now, but you did listen to them and that was enough.
"So they need our help." You ask the translator and he nods.
"I see. Well, my hands are tied and I doubt I can make any delays on our orders, but I will make sure to send a message to the Brigadier General to inform them of your situation. I am sure, he will send someone with the authority to conduct proper negotiations. The 31st Infantry Battalion will stay here and they are welcome to join forces with them." You watch as the translator does his work, although, it isn't an easy one by the looks of it and it takes a few minutes to get the message across and you doubt they fully understand you.
Their reply is quick and they nod, for a moment, it seems that their leader is smiling. For being natives, they are awfully friendly. From what you can tell, their commander's name is Cajyan, his fox-like ears and eyes always draw your attention as it is yet another proof of the strangeness of these lands. They seem to agree and seem to trust you and your men. Then someone begins to speak.
"My battalion will do its best to help them." Announces the major of the 31st as he extends a hand to Cajyan and receives a firm handshake in return. Soon the meeting is over but not before you manage to secure scouts and guides for the local region. But finally, the time to leave arrives, you watch as a cavalry squadron is leading the way back into the forest. The journey ahead has just begun.
The Black Fortress
The Prussian scouts were impressed by the size and style of the fortress that had they just found out. For them, the only comparison they could make was to a fairytale castle but certainly grimmer. A long time had passed ever since the fortress was first inhabited, and the signs were clear. The first of which was overgrown vegetation, trees growing as tall as the towers, cracks in the walls, and a deep silence that emanated from the fortress.
The fortress itself was next to a small river that doubled as a moot and that constantly refreshed the water inside. This increased its defensive value but also made it harder to find a way inside. When the Brigadier General received the report he couldn't help but ponder why the fortress had been abandoned but when the opportunity presented itself then it was better to take it.
Meanwhile, your columns traversed the forest once more. The fauna proving to be a dangerous factor to take into account, but with each dead beast that tried to attack your men, the less frequent the animal attacks became. Beyond that, on the same day of the march, you arrived back at the gate. Its surroundings looking more protected by a wooden wall and an increasing amount of tents. All while woodsmen continued to clear the forest.
This was a good time to resupply and rest before you departed the next day for the fortress. You rested and even managed to take some time to go back through the gate for an hour or so, the sounds of Berlin on one side and those of endless arcadia on the other. During your time at the gate, you were able to hear and read the news from all over the world. A gate appearing here or there, this, of course, didn't mean happy news for everyone.
Wild beasts could pass from one side to the other, some even spoke of possible new plagues, and of course, there were the natives...but about the latter, there was but little news.
The next arrived sooner than expected and the march south continued. This time you would have to deal with harsher geography than before, a hilly forest awaited you in the south but your men began to get used to the rough countryside. After all, vast areas of the rural Prussia remained just like this in the eastern provinces of the country.
After a day or two of march, your cavalry spots the fortress from afar. Managing to see it in all its glory, it is a perfect spot to establish a base of operations here in Arcadia. Far too perfect.
A camp near the fortress
For many, the call of the gods was the most important thing that one could ever follow. The Gods from this world periodically choose their champions to spread their worship and lead their people. For the many races of Arcadia, worshiping the Gods of this world took either an act of miracle or many years of proselytism to get them to believe.
It was not uncommon for champions to be recognized for the magical artifacts they possessed. One such example is currently at her camp waiting. She is but a few kilometers to the west of the Black Fortress. Her name is Kriesha, a lizard woman, who holds one such artifact. It looks like a simple hand-held gauntlet but it allows her to express the power of her goddess in the form of healing. From disease to life-threatening wounds, this artifact would fix up any living being provided Kriesha recited the rights mantras to activate it.
But as many other champions found, the artifacts were as much a blessing as a curse. Great kings, wealthy men, and many unscrupulous criminals would do anything to monopolize the time and abilities of the champions, either manipulating them to stay in their courts or to fight against their enemies. This was the chief reason, Kriesha had left the imperial capital forced to do so when she refused to abandon the lower districts and to only serve the nobility. After many attempts on her life, she decided to leave and pray for guidance.
Perhaps, the goddess listened to her as her artifact brought her here. The great black fortress was said to have been as the headquarters of the Gods when they fought against the forces of darkness. Yet, those were only myths and the fortress didn't look at all like the fortress of the gods but rather a half-ruin that was probably crawling with bandits and other vermin.
Kriesha grabbed her spear and headed towards the fortress. Only to stop when she sighted the Elven's Protectorate Banner from the distance. The gold and green colors announced the elven presence. A simple question went to her mind. "What were they doing here?"
Inside of the Fortress
The fortress had laid in silence for centuries. It had been used by the Lizards as a strong point against the Elves a century ago and as the land stands of the Human kingdoms previous to that. Nobody knew when it had been built only that it was there and that it was placed right in the middle of an important crossroads. Its walls were strong, far stronger than anyone could build but they also fell prey to the woes of time.
Skeletons of Elf, Lizard, and Human precedence were littered on the floors of such a great fortress. For a time, sages and mages alike had tried to study the murals of the fortress to understand it better but to no avail even if their senses told them that great power was hiding inside, nobody not even the brightest or wisest could unveil it. Not even the champions were allowed to uncover such a mystery, the truth was, there was never a mystery to be uncovered but rather a power to be unleashed.
Upon the XXth gate opening, the walls of the fortress had been too weakened to stop it slowly but surely, the power within crept outside of the core of the stone and then a tremor, no...an earthquake took place inside of the fortress and its immediate surroundings. The walls cracked and fell on the ground one after another. The elves, the champion, and the Prussians saw as the fortress crumbled.
The black stone melted on the ground with a dark color and a strong power. Then it began to move, small arms began to creep from the small sea of darkness. First only one, then several, and finally hundreds. Grey creatures began to stand up on their two infernal feet. Their faces were stretched out and without eyes, only a mouth and a nose. The creatures of all shapes and sizes began to form up until the dark goo was no more.
They all stood in silence...until the largest of them all. An enormous creature, a giant in its own right with the torso of a fat man but with the lower body of a spider began to move around and extend its arms. It held a long spear that he used to pierce the ground beneath him and then if the scouts, the elves, or the lizard could see it. They would see a long evil smile on its face.
It turned towards where the elven column was and then the demon threw its gigantic spear against them. It whispered something to the wind and the spear was launched from its hand to where the elves had formed up a perfect battleline, just like the one you had seen before. Once it lands, an entire elven section is instantaneously gone, a cloud of grey dust rising from underneath. The rest of the grey creatures rush towards the elves and a new battle begins.
Back on the Prussian Column
You had a hard time accepting what you were hearing from your scouts. "The fortress is gone?" Major Dunajski asked the scouts.
"Yes...Major, we saw it with our own eyes. The fortress crumbled as if was made of dust in a matter of minutes." Replied the man, who was as white and cold as a man could be. "Then...they all rose up from there. Demons...there is no other way to describe it, Sir. They are fighting the natives we fought just a few days ago."
You could not believe it either. Either your men had gone mad or this world was far more chaotic than you originally thought. "We are only half an hour away from there. Surely, these scouts must be wrong. We have allowed far too many peasants in our ranks." Replied Lieutenant colonel Sigmund von Waldeck. His face as straight as his mustache.
Friedrich von Brabeck spoke next. "I don't distrust my men as you do, Waldeck but I agree. Such a wild statement must be corroborated by another group of scouts."
Meanwhile, Helmuth von Limburg scratched his chin, he was thinking and thinking hard. "If there is no fortress then...it would be better to not move any further. The colonel told us that our mission was to capture it if there is nothing to capture it, I don't see why we should proceed, at least, not without any reinforcements." He replied, in his usual cautious and lawful ways.
"We will have to send another set of scouts...that much I agree, but if what the scouts say is true. We may be fighting another kind of enemy right now. A much fiercer one than the knife-eared natives we encountered. Colonel, I recommend we proceed but only watch them fight. If you see fit we could help them...if not, we can just retreat." Said the Major. In the end, it was up to you to decide.
But before that, Athir and the other natives are asked for their thoughts on this but they know nothing about these demons either or at least, it seems you cannot yet communicate those ideas to them.
[X] Retreat back to the Gate: There is no need for you to fight here von Limburg is right. Retreating back to the gate would be a good option...now, you aren't sure if the things the scouts described will follow you back.
[X] Watch the Fight but do not get involved. Reinforcements will take a day to arrive and you will have time to fortify your current position against any possible incursions.
[X] Join the natives in fighting against the strange demons. They may have been yesterday's enemies but as far as you know, demons are probably worse than them.
